Qantas will today fly direct between Brisbane and Launceston for the first time to help meet increasing demand for travel to Tasmania.

The national carrier will operate three return services per week with QantasLink’s Boeing 717 aircraft until at least the end of March 2022, offering more than 15,000 additional seats between the two cities. The airline will look to add more flights beyond this date if there is demand.

This is the eighth new Tasmanian route Qantas and Jetstar have launched since the start of the pandemic, in response to strong demand from Australians looking for domestic holidays.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new route would open up more options for travellers looking to book their next holiday.

“Tasmania has become increasingly popular with travellers over the past year, and we’re really pleased to be making it even easier for Queenslanders to visit,” said Mr Gissing.

“More visitors will be great news for the Tasmanian economy this summer. These flights will also provide Launceston residents with more options to visit the Sunshine State, with connections from Brisbane across our expansive Queensland network.

“We’ll be closely monitoring demand and if it proves successful we will look to extend the route beyond March.

“Customers will be able to earn and use points on these new flights and enjoy our premium service, whether its complimentary food and drinks, baggage or access to our lounges in Brisbane or Launceston prior to departure.”

The new Qantas Brisbane-Launceston services complement Jetstar’s existing flights on the route which will increase this month from seven return flights each week to nine, operated with its Airbus A320 aircraft.

Qantas’ Fly Flexible policy offers customers who book flights for travel before 28 February 2022 added flexibility with unlimited fee free date changes (A fare difference may apply).