The flying kangaroo will today land in Burnie for the first time in 15 years, creating stronger travel connections for north west Tasmania.

The first flight from Melbourne is scheduled to arrive at Burnie Airport at 4:35pm this afternoon.

The national carrier will operate up to 12 weekly return flights on the route with its 50-seat Q300 turboprop aircraft, adding 1,200 seats each week.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new services could help support the region’s growing tourism industry and offer residents more choice.

“We are delighted to be returning to Burnie today with our new route from Melbourne, just in time for the school holidays and re-opening of Tasmanian borders,” said Mr Gissing.

“Tasmania has been in particularly high demand over the past year and these new Qantas flights will make it easier for travellers to explore the vibrant port city of Burnie and the spectacular surrounding wilderness.

“Residents of the north west coast can now earn and use Qantas Points on direct flights from Burnie to Melbourne and seamlessly connect on to our extensive network for their next holiday, business or to see family and friends.

“We’re promoting Burnie and its surrounds to millions of our frequent flyers across the country and think they’ll enjoy the benefits of our premium service, including complimentary food and drinks, baggage and lounge access in Melbourne.”

Following the reopening of the Tasmanian border to New South Wales and Victoria, Qantas has also ramped up flights between Melbourne and Devonport with four times as many flights as the previous week. The airline has also added 30 more flights between Hobart/Launceston and New South Wales/Victoria in the first five days of the state’s re-opening in response to strong travel demand.

Melbourne to Burnie is one of seven new routes Qantas has launched to Tasmania since international borders closed: Adelaide-Hobart, Brisbane-Hobart, Sydney-Launceston, Brisbane-Launceston, Perth-Hobart and Canberra-Hobart.

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).