Getting from Australia to India usually means changing planes in Singapore or the Gulf. From December 2026, there's a new option: Philippine Airlines will link Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to both Delhi and Mumbai with a single stop at its Manila hub.
The plan adds three weekly flights to Delhi and four weekly to Mumbai, pending Indian government approval. The Mumbai route is the headline news — PAL has never served India's commercial capital before, so this opens a second gateway alongside Delhi for Australian travellers.
Both routes will run on PAL's 168-seat Airbus A321neo, split between 12 lie-flat Business Class seats and 156 in Economy. As a full-service carrier, meals (with Indian and Asian-inspired options), inflight entertainment and checked baggage are included. The timings are workable too: the Manila–Delhi flight leaves at 10:40pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving at 3am; the Mumbai service runs on four days a week on a similar overnight pattern, with morning returns landing back in Manila by 5pm.
There's extra flexibility baked in beyond India. Manila sits conveniently between Australia and North America, so the new routes also connect Delhi and Mumbai with PAL destinations such as Los Angeles and Vancouver — handy for multi-stop itineraries. PAL has also been invited to join the oneworld Alliance, a significant step in its 85-year history, which means Qantas Frequent Flyer members will be able to earn on these flights.
Australian passport holders can use India's e-Visa programme for Delhi, Mumbai and destinations across the country, so the paperwork side is straightforward. PAL's ANZ country manager Krystle Ramirez-Gastrock says the routes target visiting friends and relatives, heritage, business and leisure travel — a reminder that for many Australians, India trips are about family connections and roots as much as tourism.
Why it matters: until now, the Australia–India market has been dominated by Singapore Airlines and Gulf carriers. A one-stop Manila routing from four Australian cities — including Perth, which often draws the short straw on international routes — gives travellers a genuine alternative, and Mumbai in particular has been thin on one-stop options. If you're flexible on stopover and tempted by a few days in the Philippines en route, Manila makes an easy add-on: jump off for beach time or a city stay before continuing to India.
Schedules and frequency are still subject to final Indian government approval, so keep an eye on confirmation before locking in plans for late 2026 and beyond.
