Qantas to Launch Direct Flights Between Perth and Rome, Johannesburg and Jakarta

(30 June 2022, 11:36 +07)  Qantas has unveiled plans to launch direct seasonal flights between Perth and Rome, as well as a service from Perth to Johannesburg from 1 November and Perth to Jakarta from 30 November.

Qantas’ new non-stop flights from Australia to Italy will be the only direct service between Australia and continental Europe offered by any airline.

A recent study commissioned by Qantas highlighted that traveller preference for point-to-point travel is higher than ever post-COVID19. Appeal for direct flights from Australia to London has increased from 45% to 59%.

Qantas A330 reg: VH-EBJ. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

“We’re seeing an increasing preference for a non-stop flight to and from Australia to make the travel experience as efficient and easy as possible and we expect that will be a permanent shift in the way people want to travel,” said Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce. “We saw an incredible rebound in domestic travel as state borders re-opened and we’re seeing the same thing now as more countries relax restrictions. Our flights from Perth to London are heavily booked, we’ve fast-tracked the return of our A380 fleet which will free up our 787s to operate new routes including Melbourne to Dallas, and we’re deploying A330’s to other new destinations including India and South Korea later this year.”

Qantas first began services to Rome in 1948 from Sydney as part of the airline's 7-stop Kangaroo Route to London. Direct services were suspended in 2003 during the SARS pandemic.

Qantas will operate thrice weekly flights from Sydney to Rome (via Perth) as the only non-stop flight between Australia and Continental Europe.

Qantas passengers can also take advantage of a “circle fare” allowing them to fly into Rome and return to Australia from London on one ticket.

“The Western Australian Italian community is well-established in WA. The direct flights between Perth and Rome, not only open Western Australia’s vast attractions up to Italian tourists, but for many Western Australians who have family links with Italy, it will bring benefits on a personal level, uniting them with loved ones by making it easier to visit family,” said Mark McGowan, WA Premier. “This new direct service will allow WA to grow visitation and spend into WA, helping diversify our economy and supporting long-term jobs. This is why as a State Government, we invested significantly to market and promote the new Rome-Perth flights to ensure its success into the future.”

Qantas’ thrice weekly return flights to Johannesburg will take off from Perth on 1 November, using Airbus A330 aircraft. The flights will cut more than six hours from the fastest current travel time, with customers heading to Johannesburg from Perth currently having to fly on Qantas via Sydney, or the Middle East.

The airline’s existing four flights per week from Sydney to Johannesburg on Boeing 787 aircraft have had strong bookings since they recommenced in January 2022 and will increase to daily from 30 October.

From 30 November, Qantas flights will reconnect Perth with Jakarta for the first time since borders closed in March 2020, beginning with thrice weekly flights using Boeing 737 aircraft.

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