Qantas axes Shanghai flights; adds Brisbane-Manila

Qantas has announced a shake-up to its Asia flight network, dumping Sydney-Shanghai, but adding Brisbane-Manila (above).

Qantas will drop flights to Shanghai from July 28, citing "low demand".

The Australian flag carrier resumed its Sydney-Shanghai service in October last year after it was paused during Covid, but demand has not recovered as anticipated.

Qantas will continue to monitor the Australia-China market closely and says it will look to return to Shanghai when demand has recovered.

Customers can continue to travel to Shanghai and other destinations in China on Qantas flights to Hong Kong with onward connections on partner airlines.

Customers booked to travel on Shanghai flights after July 28 will be contacted and offered a full refund, or can contact Qantas or their travel agent to discuss rebooking on alternative flights.

Aircraft used on this route will be redirected to boost flying to other destinations across Asia where there is increasing demand or new tourism opportunities.

Customers will have access to a new international route out of Brisbane with the flying kangaroo set to begin flights to Manila from October 29 operating four days per week with Airbus A330 aircraft.

This will mark the first time the airline has flown between the two cities in more than 10 years.

The flights add to Qantas’ existing daily service from Sydney and will add more than 100,000 seats between Australia and the Philippines each year.

“We’re always looking to ensure that we have the right aircraft, on the right routes and at the right time of year to best meet the needs of our customers," says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace

“Since Covid, the demand for travel between Australia and China has not recovered as strongly as expected. In some months, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating around half full.

“That’s why we’ve decided to suspend this route and boost flying to other popular destinations with a new route from Brisbane to Manila and additional flights to Singapore and Bengaluru."