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Following Virgin Australia’s return to long-haul international flying in June this year, the airline will mark a major new milestone with the launch of its inaugural Melbourne-Doha service ahead of the Christmas travel rush.
The new route unlocks seamless one-stop access to more than 170 global destinations via Doha through Qatar Airways’ network, and is expected to inject more than $190 million into Victoria’s economy each year by bringing in more visitors and supporting the export of local products.
With Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways now operating daily services between Australia and Doha from most major Australian capital cities, annual capacity on these routes has grown 53 per cent to 2.65 million seats.
The increased connectivity not only boosts economic activity (expecting to inject more than $3 billion nationally) and market competitiveness, but gives Australian travellers more choice and value when flying to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer members are also set to benefit, with the ability to earn and redeem Points on the new service.
Velocity boasts a global network of more than 600 destinations through Virgin Australia and the airline’s international partner carriers, including Qatar Airways.
The launch comes as Virgin Australia prepares to fly millions of guests across the Christmas period.
Virgin Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson, said the inaugural Melbourne-Doha service represents a pivotal moment for Virgin Australia and for Australian travellers.
“Our new Melbourne–Doha service is a major milestone for Virgin Australia and for the millions of Australians who want more choice and value when travelling internationally,” said Mr Emerson.
“Together with Qatar Airways, we’re able to offer competitive airfares between Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, while creating new economic opportunities that will benefit tourism, trade and Australian jobs.
“Virgin Australia continues to go from strength to strength and with the expansion of our international network to include four daily services between Australia and Doha, we are set to have one of our busiest summers on record.
“It’s a proud moment to see so many people travelling with Virgin Australia to visit their friends
and family and reconnect with loved ones this holiday season.”
Speaking of the benefits for Velocity Frequent Flyer members, Mr Emerson said: “For Velocity members, the addition of the new Melbourne-Doha service means members can earn and redeem Points, while building on our access to more than 600 destinations around the world.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said:
“Qatar Airways is proud to mark an important milestone with Virgin Australia as we welcome the inaugural Melbourne–Doha service to our award-winning Hamad International Airport – the final new route in our 2025 expansion.
This launch reflects months of hard work from both teams and our shared commitment to giving Australians greater choice, better value and world-class premium service.”
“Importantly, this partnership delivers benefits well beyond passenger travel.With Virgin Australia using Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777s on the route, we can now offer additional cargo capacity between Melbourne and Doha.
This represents a significant boost for Australian exporters, strengthening the nation’s ability to reach global markets quickly and reliably.
We’re proud to support local businesses and play a role in driving Australia’s economic growth.”
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer, Lorie Argus said the return of Virgin Australia’s long-haul flights is a win for both travellers and exporters.
“Melbourne is now the only Australian city to enjoy triple-daily flights to Doha, bringing travellers more choice and easier access to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas,” she said.
“While this announcement is great news for travellers, the belly of the plane is equally as important for freight.
Melbourne Airport handles more than 40 per cent of the nation’s airfreight exports and these additional services will unlock more capacity for local exporters to reach more markets across the globe.”
Doha airfare sale
Virgin Australia is offering up to 15 per cent off fares to the Middle East and Europe for selected travel dates between 27 January 2026 and 16 June 2026. The sale ends at 11:59pm AEST 4 December 2025, unless sold out prior
