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- ASX 200-lister Qantas Airways (QAN) brings back Perth to London flights a month early following a halt due to COVID-19 travel restrictions
- Australia’s national carrier will be taking off from Perth on May 23, with tickets already on sale
- At the time of the launch in 2018, the popular direct route was the only non-stop service between Australia and the UK
- The early return of the direct flight will complement the upcoming launch of Qantas’ direct Perth to Rome service, which is due to start on June 22
- Earlier this week, Qantas revealed plans to fly to London and New York from Sydney from 2025
Australia’s national airline Qantas Airways (QAN) has bought forward its plans to bring back its direct flights from Perth to London.
The flying kangaroo will be taking off to London from Perth on May 23, with tickets going on sale today. The flight was put on a hold until June 19 due to COVID-19 border restrictions and rerouted to Darwin.
At the time of the launch in 2018, the popular direct route was the only non-stop service between Australia and the UK, as well as the first ever direct service between the two countries.
Before COVID-19, international leisure arrivals from Europe had increased by 2.8 per cent in 2019 compared to the previous year, injecting around $545 million visitor spend into the economy.
The early return of the direct flight will complement the upcoming launch of Qantas’ direct Perth-Rome service, which is due to start on June 22.
Premier Mark McGowan is pleased to welcome the flight back to Perth.
“This direct route between Perth and London made history when it was first launched, and along with the upcoming Perth to Rome route, its early return firmly positions WA as Australia’s western gateway to Europe,” he said in a statement today.
“Re-establishing international and interstate flight routes is a key part of our $195 million Reconnect WA package, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from Europe back to WA safely, through these direct services.”
The UK is a key tourism market for Western Australia, with more than 122,000 travellers visiting the state in 2019.
“The two direct connections from Perth to London and Rome will provide a huge boost in the number of visitors coming to WA from Europe, which will create more jobs in our tourism, entertainment and hospitality industries, and inject millions into our State’s economy, Tourism Minister Roger Cook added.
Earlier this week, Qantas revealed plans to fly to London and New York from Sydney from 2025.
The airline has purchased 12 Airbus A350-1000s to operate the routes.
