South Australians can now enjoy more travel options to two popular holiday destinations with new Qantas routes taking off from Adelaide to Cairns and Hobart.

The national carrier’s first flight from Adelaide to Hobart landed this morning with the first Cairns service scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

QantasLink will operate up to seven weekly return Adelaide-Hobart flights, and four weekly return flights Adelaide-Cairns with Embraer E190 regional jet aircraft.

The E190s were introduced to QantasLink’s network in May as part of the airline’s new agreement with Alliance Airlines. With its size, range and economics, the 94-seat jet has opened up a number of new routes that wouldn’t have been viable with Qantas’ existing fleet, including four new routes from Adelaide.

Qantas now connects Adelaide directly to every capital city and to a total of 15 destinations nonstop.  The addition of the E190 to the QantasLink fleet has also seen Adelaide become home to an aircraft base which will grow to house five of the jets, bringing an additional 200 jobs to the State, including pilots, cabin crew and engineers.

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

“We have already seen a great response to our new Adelaide flights and we’re pleased to be making it easier for South Australians to enjoy some of the country’s best tourism destinations,” said Mr Gissing.

“Cairns, a gateway to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, and Hobart with its world-class cultural and dining experiences have both been very popular with travellers taking the opportunity to holiday here at home over the past year.

“These new flights will also help bring more visitors to Adelaide which will be great for the economy with flow on benefits for local businesses.

“Travellers 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 Adelaide, Cairns and Hobart.”

The new routes have been made possible with the support of Adelaide Airport and the South Australian Government.

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).