Direct flights to open from Sydney to French Polynesia

It is about to get a lot easier for Australians to fly to French Polynesia. 

Air Tahiti Nui this week announced an expansion of its international network with the launch of a new direct route between Papeete and Sydney. 

The new service is part of the airline’s strategy to strengthen long-term connectivity between French Polynesia and the major regional hubs of the South Pacific. Air Tahiti Nui previously used to serve Sydney until 2009.

The route is scheduled to launch on Monday, December 14. Air Tahiti Nui will operate two flights per week, providing travellers with a direct, regular and nonstop option between Tahiti and Australia. 

The new connection will significantly reduce travel time and simplify journeys between the two regions, travel news hub Travel Mole reports. 

French-accented Tahiti and its Islands have a growing appeal for Australian travellers with 8,165 Australian visitors in 2025. 

“We are very pleased to announce this new direct route between Papeete and Sydney," Lionel Guérin, CEO of Air Tahiti Nui, said. 

"With two direct flights per week and thanks to the code-share agreement with Qantas, this service will provide Australian travellers with greater comfort and more frequency options, especially when combined with our twice-weekly service to Auckland in New Zealand.”

Ticket sales are expected to open later this month. 

Jetstar to launch low-cost direct flights to Sri Lanka

Jetstar has launched Australia's first low-cost direct flights to Sri Lanka. 

Flights will take off for the first time in August next year, with the launch of a direct low-cost service from Melbourne to the South Asian nation’s capital, Colombo.

Jetstar will become the first Australian airline to operate this route, flying three times a week between Melbourne and Colombo and offering more than 100,000 seats a year starting from $315. 

The year-round service will be operated by Jetstar’s fleet of 11 widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are progressively being upgraded to overhaul both the economy and business class cabins.

The interior refit includes more than doubling the number of business class seats and installing wifi so customers can stream entertainment to their own devices.

The addition of a new lie-flat crew rest area to allow flights of up to 16 hours will open the door to other long-haul destinations in the future. 

Seats for the new flights went on sale at midday with one-way fares available between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Colombo from only $315 at jetstar.com.

“Colombo is an incredible destination, and from August next year, we’re excited to be making it easier for Aussies to experience everything the beautiful country of Sri Lanka has to offer,@ said Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully. 

“This new route out of our home base of Melbourne is part of a huge growth phase for Jetstar. We’ve added new destinations, more aircraft and we’re continuing to expand our international network to give travellers even more choice and opportunities to take off for less.”

Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus welcomed the new flights. 

“We're thrilled to see Sri Lanka, one of the region’s fastest-growing destinations, become Jetstar's 10th international destination from Melbourne," Argus said. 

* Holiday Package Deals including return flights, five night's accommodation, bags, seats, daily buffet breakfasts with guaranteed room upgrades, late checkout and a bottle of wine on arrival at Radisson Hotel Colombo start from $1,102 per person, twin share. 

Emirates boosts direct Melbourne flight schedule

Emirates is introducing a third daily non-stop service between Dubai and Melbourne, starting from March 30.

The third service will be operated with a newly retro-fitted four-class Emirates Boeing 777-300ER.

It is equipped with both premium economy and new-generation business class seats.

The airline already operates two non-stop daily flights between Dubai and Melbourne using four-class Airbus A380s, as well as a daily flight that connects Dubai to Melbourne via Singapore with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

But the Emirates’ flights between Singapore and Melbourne will cease on March 30, news portal Travel Mole reports.

The aniline now plans to operate the third direct Dubai-Melbourne flight and a fourth Dubai-Singapore service with new flight numbers.

A third daily non-stop Melbourne flight means more convenient schedules and choice, with connectivity and travel options via Dubai to 27 European cities including London, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Emirates’ latest refurbished Boeing 777 includes eight first classs suites, 40 business class seats, 24 seats in premium economy, and 256 economy class seats.

The airline’s business class seat converts to a flat-bed.

Every business customer has aisle access with the four abreast layout. Customers will also be able to enjoy their own personal mini-bar, table for dining or working, and multiple charging outlets.

Qantas to fly from Darwin to Singapore

Qantas has unveiled plans for a new international route that will shave several hours of flying time for anyone travelling from Darwin to Europe.

Qantas today announced it is launching a second international route from Darwin, with direct flights from the Northern Territory to Singapore. It currently only flies from Darwin to Dili, in East Timor.

Starting in December, the new Qantas flights will add more than 60,000 seats on the route each year and provide visitors to Australia with a gateway to access to Top End travel experiences.

The flights will provide a direct Qantas option to Singapore and also a connection to London on QF1, as well as other destinations across Europe or Asia with partner airlines.

Qantas customers travelling from Darwin will save around five hours in flying time by no longer having to fly via other Australian capital cities to get to London.

Launching on December 9, 2024, flights will initially operate five days per week with the dual-class Embraer E190 aircraft, increasing to daily from March, 2025.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said: “We’re thrilled to be offering our customers another new international route out of Darwin and strengthening the important trade, business and tourism links between Australia and Singapore.

“The direct service is not just great news for Territorians wanting to visit Singapore, but also for those travelling to London, Europe and across south-east Asia, with connections to popular destinations like Phuket and Kuala Lumpur with our partner airlines, saving hours of travel time."

Qantas has a long history of flying between Darwin and Singapore, with Darwin being the final Australian stop-over on the original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London in 1935. More recently, Qantas last operated direct flights between Darwin and Singapore in 2006.

Fares start from $690 return and are available from today via qantas.com or through travel agents.

Qantas adds Paris flights for summer 2024

Qantas is adding another direct service between Australia and Europe with the launch of a new route between Perth and Paris, just in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and European summer.

Following the success of the national carrier’s direct flights from Perth to London and Rome, the new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris.

From July 12, 2024, the 17-hour Perth-Paris flights will initially operate four days per week during the peak European summer using the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will reduce to three per week from mid-August 2024.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the airline was thrilled to put Paris back on the Qantas map with a direct link for Australians to the French capital for the first time.

“This route has been on our wish list for a while and we think customers will be as pleased as we are to see it go on sale today,” Hudson said.

“Our direct flights to London and Rome have been hugely popular and Paris is the next most-requested destination, so we know the demand for this service will be strong as well.

“Some of the first customers on these flights will be Australian athletes heading to Paris to compete at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We’re the only airline offering these direct flights rather than going through a mid-point because the key market we serve is Australia. Our in-flight service is designed with long-haul travel in mind.

“The schedule we’ve announced today will add more than 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year and we’ll be working with Tourism WA to help make the most of the opportunity to bring tourists here, knowing that direct flights are a big factor in people deciding where to travel.”

The new flights will operate through Qantas’ existing terminal at Perth Airport (Terminal 3), which will allow seamless connections to other domestic destinations in Australia.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said: 
“Securing new direct aviation services like this is absolutely vital to drive travellers to Western Australia, inject visitor spend into our economy and create jobs in the tourism and hospitality industries.”

The Paris service will also offer connections to more than 70 destinations across Europe, including Barcelona, Munich, Frankfurt and Athens, and 12 destinations within France through Qantas’ network of partners.

A “circle fare” also allows Qantas customers to fly into Paris and return to Australia from London or Rome on the one ticket.

Fares are on sale now starting from $1,899 from Perth via qantas.com and through travel agents.

Discover a new tropical island destination direct from Sydney

Done Bali? Visited Thailand? Love Fiji?

How about adding the Cook Islands to your list of tropical holiday destinations?

Jetstar announced today that it is launching non-stop flights between Sydney and Rarotonga from June 29 next year. Count me in.

It will be the first time the carrier has operated flights between Australia and the Cook Islands, and to celebrate the new route Jetstar is offering a special sale price of $229^ one-way in a 48-hour sale that has just started.

The new service will provide two weekly return flights on Jetstar’s newest aircraft, the new-generation, longer-range Airbus A321neo LR.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said the news was very important for the small island nation.

He said tourism was the backbone of its economy, contributing 75% of GDP.

“The new services from Jetstar will provide a major boost to our tourism sector and the financial impact for local tourism operators and the nation is significant,” he said.

“We are delighted that Jetstar is making this commitment to the Cook Islands.”

The Cook Islands are known for stunning lagoons, beautiful white sand beaches and warm temperatures.

It already welcomes more than 29,000 visitors from Australia annually, and the additional Jetstar capacity from June, 2023 will allow the market to grow further.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said: “Rarotonga is a stunning tropical island and we’re excited to introduce our great low fares on this new route ahead of next year’s winter school holidays, offering Australians the opportunity to escape the cold and explore one of the most beautiful destinations in the South Pacific.

“The direct Sydney to Rarotonga will be our second route to the popular island, but the first from Australia and we thank the Cook Islands Government for their ongoing support.”

Jetstar already flies to Rarotonga from Auckland, New Zealand.

See www.cookislands.travel for more info. Or book at www.jetstar.com/au/en/