Qantas will today operate the first ever direct flight between Melbourne and Dallas/Fort Worth, creating more travel options for Australians travelling to North America.
The Qantas flights are the first non-stop flights by any airline between the two cities and are in addition to the national carrier’s direct flights from Melbourne to Los Angeles, increasing seats between Victoria and the United States by more than 6,000 per month.
Melbourne-Dallas/Fort Worth is one of eight new international routes Qantas has announced since borders reopened and the second new route from Melbourne, following the launch of Delhi flights last year.
Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the new route was a win for local travel and tourism operators and for the large number of Victorians wanting to travel overseas.
“We’re excited to be providing our customers with another new international destination out of Melbourne as demand for travel continues to grow strongly,” said Mr David.
“We’ve already seen a great response to these flights since they went on sale, not just from those wanting to visit Dallas, but for travellers wanting to take advantage of the excellent connections to popular destinations like Orlando, Miami and Boston.
“As one of the biggest hubs in the United States, Dallas/Fort Worth is located less than a four-hour flight from every major city, connecting travellers to over 200 destinations across North America with our airline partners.
“New routes also open up new opportunities to bring more visitors to Australia. Around 40% of bookings on this route are people coming from the US directly into Melbourne and this will have flow-on benefits for local businesses. We’d like to thank the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport for their support and collaboration in getting this route up and running.”
Qantas’ joint business partner American Airlines will also offer codeshare services on this flight as part of the joint network into Australia, marketing and selling the route to its customers across North America.
Melbourne Airport CEO, Lorie Argue said: “Qantas’ new service to Dallas will be the longest route ever flown out of Melbourne, and the fourth longest in the world.
“This is the first time Victoria has had a non-stop connection to a North American city that’s not located on the west coast, and will help provide local travellers and exporters with faster and easier access to much of the continent, while bringing more international tourists to Victoria.
“Melbourne is Australia’s capital of food, sport, major events and the arts and today’s launch demonstrates that as aircraft technology continues to improve, it is the ideal base for ultra-long haul flights to other destinations.”
QF21 will depart at 2pm with Texan-themed celebrations at check-in. Customers travelling through Qantas’ lounges in Melbourne today will enjoy a Texan-inspired menu including chilli beef brisket and corn bread.
Flights will operate three days per week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays – with Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Qantas’ Melbourne – Dallas/Fort Worth schedule
| Route | Flight | Dep Time | Arr Time | Frequency | Aircraft |
| MEL-DFW | QF 21 | 1400 | 1245 | Mon, Wed, Sat | B789 |
| DFW-MEL | QF 22 | 1910 | 0545+2 | Mon, Wed, Sat | B789 |
Times above are local. From late March 2023, the flights will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.