Qantas launched four new routes across its domestic network today, boosting connectivity between regional centres and capital cities.
The new routes – Adelaide-Newcastle, Brisbane-Wagga Wagga, Darwin-Townsville and Darwin-Cairns – provide direct connections and reduce travel time for customers. The national carrier is also the only airline to offer direct flights on two of the routes, between Adelaide and Newcastle and Brisbane and Wagga Wagga.
The routes follow new Qantas flights between Sydney and Uluru (Ayers Rock Airport) taking off yesterday.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new services were among 52 new routes the national carrier has added to its domestic network since the beginning of the pandemic as Australians looked for local travel opportunities.
“Qantas has a tremendous history of connecting people and economies across Australia. What we’ve seen over the past two years, is that what started as a way of meeting pent-up demand for Aussies to travel where they could, is being sustained as visitors discover new destinations and as business links flourish,” Mr Gissing said.
“Not only have we seen a huge surge in demand for domestic tourism, but we have a seen a real shift towards investment in our regional communities as economic and industrial hubs.”
Three weekly return flights will operate on Darwin-Townsville, Brisbane-Wagga and Adelaide-Newcastle with four weekly return flights on Darwin-Cairns, together adding more than 2,300 seats into Qantas’s domestic network each week.
Qantas has also recommenced flights between Sydney and Toowoomba with an improved business-friendly schedule offering double daily weekday flights and daily weekend flights.