QantasLink’s inaugural direct flight from Bendigo to Sydney has taken off this morning, marking the first commercial flight from the regional Victorian city in more than 30 years.
The new direct flights to Sydney operate six days per week, saving hours of travel time for business and leisure travellers who would have previously travelled via Melbourne.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new route was an example of the national carrier growing its network to meet demand and supporting regional Victoria.
“We’re excited to now be flying direct to Bendigo, saving local travellers time and encouraging more people from Australia and around the world to visit the region,” said Mr Gissing.
“The response to the Bendigo flights has been very positive, with several of our first flights completely sold out. We’re also seeing strong bookings around school holidays, and during the week as business travellers take advantage of the convenient direct flight for their regular trips to Sydney.”
The City of Greater Bendigo Council’s upgraded Bendigo Airport is the newest terminal in the Qantas network and has been designed with a focus on seamless travel and modern convenience.
“Customers will experience one of the fastest and smoothest airport experiences on our network,” Mr Gissing added.
“These direct flights will not only save travellers hours of time previously spent in the car when flying via Melbourne, but also time in airport queues, as the journey through Bendigo Airport will be quick and easy.”
The key tips for Bendigo travellers are to check-in online, receive their digital boarding pass, and remember the carry-on baggage allowance for this aircraft type on regional flights.
QantasLink will operate its 50-seat Q300 turboprop aircraft on the route, offering more than 30,000 seats each year. Flights will operate six times each week before increasing to daily over the peak summer season.
QantasLink’s services have been made possible with the support of the Victorian Government, Visit Victoria and City of Greater Bendigo Council, including through upgrades made to the airport terminal and runway.
Comments from Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan: “It is fantastic to see Bendigo connected to regular flights to Sydney, this is a win for tourism and the regional economy and a vote of confidence in everything Bendigo has to offer. We’re so proud to play our part in upgrading the airport, working collaboratively with the City of Greater Bendigo to make this happen.”
Comments from City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Margaret O’Rourke: “We are excited to welcome Qantas to Bendigo and very pleased to have attracted a service that provides residents and businesses with regular travel to and from Sydney. We also see this as a great opportunity to attract more people to our city and region to live, work and visit. A service such as this enhances the experience of living regionally and places the world on our doorstep,” Cr O’Rourke said.
Customers should visit qantas.com or download the Qantas App to check-in online so they can breeze through the Bendigo Airport terminal before boarding their flight. There will be a range of mobile device charging options available for customers in the airport.
The carry-on baggage allowance on QantasLink Q300 turboprop flights is one piece that weighs up to 7kg. The check-in baggage allowance is one piece that weighs up to 23kg.
Bendigo is the 57th destination on the QantasLink network and the Qantas Group’s fourth destination in Victoria after Melbourne, Mildura and Avalon.
Find out more about all the new destination has to offer with Qantas’ travel guide to Bendigo.
