Earlier this month, Australian flag carrier Qantas Airlines announced two new international routes from the city of Perth in Western Australia to Johannesburg, South Africa, and to Auckland, New Zealand. The airline has scheduled the flights to begin on the 7th and 8th December 2025 respectively.
Flights to Johannesburg and Auckland Bookable Now
Qantas has already made the flights available to book via their website. Although based in Sydney, Australia, the airline is using these new routes to further develop its hub in Western Australia, with over an additional 155,000 seats flying in and out of Perth each year. This increase is set to create jobs to support the local economy and boost tourism to the state of Western Australia. The flights were made possible by funding allocated from the Federal Government of Australia to the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This funding will enable additional border services at airports and will allow Perth Airport to invest in additional staff, equipment, and facilities which will increase border security and biosecurity, as well as facilitate more international flights. Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International, issued the following statement:
“By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network. Our new Perth to Auckland route offers connections for West Australians to New York via Auckland while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink.”
He then went on to thank Perth Airport, the DAFF, and the Australian Border Force for their cooperation in launching the new routes. Kate Holsgrove, Perth Airport’s Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer, also expressed positivity towards the new international services:
“The launch of two new Qantas international services to Perth is great news for Western Australia. Perth is a dynamic, expanding hub with incredible growth opportunities and we remain focused on working with our airline partners to grow aviation connectivity to create more opportunities for Western Australia’s tourism industry and provide more options for Western Australians to travel.”
Flights from Perth to Auckland will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays with a flight time of approximately 6 hours and 45 minutes. Flights from Perth to Johannesburg will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays with a flight time of approximately 11 hours and 15 minutes.
Enhancements to More International Services
Qantas has also announced a handful of updates to other international services in the wake of its 90th anniversary of introducing international flights. Firstly, it will introduce its Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner) on flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles daily beginning October 2025, increasing premium seat availability for Queensland-based customers and offering the additional choice of Premium Economy. Continuing its partnership with American Airlines, Qantas will make seasonal changes with American Airlines during the busy Australian summer period; for December 2025 and January 2026, daily 787-9 services will continue between Brisbane and Los Angeles. In the same period, Qantas will increase Boeing 787-9 flights to once a day between Melbourne and Dallas, and its Boeing 787 flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles will return to daily service from February 2026. Lastly, Jetstar, Qantas’ low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, will cease flights between Sydney and Honolulu in October 2025, with its Boeing 787 to be redeployed to other Asian destinations. Therefore, Qantas will begin operating 5 to 6 services per week between Sydney and Honolulu to keep up with customer demand.
Have you flown on Qantas recently? Will you take advantage of the new and improved routes? Let us know in the comments below!
