United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Qantas plans to shift London flights to Darwin
Qantas has confirmed it will ditch Perth for direct flights to the UK.
Qantas says it was forced to bypass Perth because of Western Australia’s strict border restrictions.
"Based on our discussions with Western Australia, we know their borders won’t be open to New South Wales and Victoria until early next year, so we’ve sadly had to cancel the flying we had planned on those routes in the lead-up to Christmas," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said on Monday.
The popular Perth to London direct flight will now likely start in Darwin.
"We’re seeing huge demand for people wanting to go to London, it’s the most sought-after route on our network for Christmas and post-Christmas," Joyce said.
"At this stage, WA doesn’t intend to open to international travel until sometime next year, so we’ll unfortunately have to temporarily move our Perth-London service until at least April 2022."
"We have to go to London, and we have to stop off somewhere. If it can’t be Perth, our preference is Darwin, and if not, we’ll look at Singapore."
Western Australia’s strict border rules have left it relatively isolated from the rest of the country – and the rest of the world.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said the health and safety of West Australians remains the top priority.
Related News Stories:
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Tricia Handley-Hughes of Inteletravel announces the location for the TravelQuest 2025 conference
Insights from James Ferrara on Inteletravel’s Growth and Future
Tricia Handley-Hughes on Inteletravel’s Growth and Challenges
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Woman dies after getting ‘entangled’ in baggage carousel
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Protestors now targeting Amsterdam cruise calls