Bad news, then good for Qantas

There has been mixed news for Qantas, Australia’s largest airline, which been ordered to pay an huge penalty for illegally sacking more than 1800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Qantas will have to pay out $90 million dollars for flouting labour laws, the Federal Court ruled. 

At the same time, subsidiary QantasLink has announced it will commence flying to Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands for the first time, with flights set to take off from November 3.

As part of a five-year partnership with the Australian Government that includes both passenger and dedicated freight services, the new flights will provide essential connections for the more than 2,500 residents across both territories, supporting local communities, government operations, tourism and freight.

Available for booking from today, the new services will also make it easier for Australians to reach the remote islands through Qantas’ extensive international and domestic network.

QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan says the airline is delighted to serve the remote Australian territories.

“We’re proud to have been selected by the Australian Government to provide these essential services to the Indian Ocean Territories,” she said. “QantasLink has a long history connecting remote communities across Australia, and we’re committed to delivering a reliable and warm service to customers.

“We look forward to supporting these island communities and helping maintain their vital connection to mainland Australia, while also making it easier for Australians to discover the incredible natural beauty and unique cultures of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.”

The services will operate twice weekly using Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. Flight time is approximately 5 hours from Perth to both destinations.

Go west. Qantas unveils new international routes

Qantas is spreading its wings westward with an announcement that two new routes will join its international network, with flights from Perth to Auckland and Johannesburg set to take off from December 2025

The routes will unlock more connections for Australians across the airline’s international and domestic network which now spans more than 100 destinations around the world.

The new services add to the growth of Qantas’ western hub, adding over 155,000 seats in and out of Perth each year and is timely given the large number of South Africans and New Zealanders living in Western Australia. 

The flights have been made possible by funding allocated from the Federal Government to Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry to deliver additional border services at airports, Qantas said in a statement. 

The funding will enable Perth Airport to invest in additional staffing, equipment and facilities that increase border and biosecurity capacity and in turn allow the airport to host more international flights.

“We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes, unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," said Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace:

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“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 a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service 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."

Perth Airport Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove said: “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."

Both routes will operate three times per week on a Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats in 1-2-1 configuration, each featuring direct aisle access and converting into a lie-flat bed, and 224 economy seats.

It is getting easier to fly in and out of Ljubljana

Slovenia is riding a tourism boom and it is getting easier to fly in and out of its vibrant capital Ljubljana.

Ljubljana Airport (above) is set to expand its flight offerings in spring with the introduction of new routes from KLM and Eurowings, and increased flight frequency from Turkish Airlines and British Airways.

KLM will launch daily flights to Amsterdam starting in late March, providing up to 11 flights per week while Eurowings will begin flights to Düsseldorf in mid-April, offering three weekly departures.

One-way tickets from Ljubljana to Amsterdam by KLM, with onward connections worldwide via Schiphol Airport, start at €70.

The route with Eurowings will offer onward connections through Eurowings’ network to European vacation destinations. One-way fares start at €39.99.

Turkish Airlines will increase flights to Istanbul to 18 times per week in June, while British Airways will offer eight weekly flights to London Heathrow from June onwards.

With the addition of the new flights, the summer schedule will feature 27 connections from 24 carriers.

Ljubljana Airport saw a 13.3% increase in passenger traffic in 2024, reaching over 1.4 million passengers, with recovery approaching pre-pandemic levels. Top destinations included Istanbul, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, and Munich.

Delta adds new flights to/from Australia

Timing is everything - and I'm not sure Delta Air Lines got its timing right with the announcement of its new flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles.

The announcement came on the heels of a whole batch of nonsense from Donald Trump and wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Delta Air Lines will launch nonstop Melbourne flights from LA on Airbus A350 jets starting early in January. By which times things may have returned to normal. Or not.

The flights add competition to current providers Qantas and United Airlines.

Delta initially launches Melbourne flights with a three times per week service.

The airline already flies to Sydney and seasonally to Brisbane.

“This is a win for the whole state – for tourism operators, businesses, hotels and restaurants, and for families and travellers,” Victoria state Tourism, Sport and Major Events minister Steve Dimopoulos said.

“These new Delta flights will bring thousands more tourists from North America to Victoria.

“These new flights will also make it more affordable for families who have America on their bucket list."

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said: "North America is an incredibly important inbound market for us, and we’re proud to be partnering with Visit Victoria to help restore capacity on the Los Angeles route.”

Delta’s flights from LAX will depart on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the return journey from Melbourne every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The new flights are set to add an extra 86,000 annual seats between Melbourne and the US.

Direct air link between Cairns and Fiji

Great news for travellers based in north Queensland. They will soon be able to fly direct from Cairns to Nadi in Fiji.

Thrice-weekly flights will offer increased connectivity to Fiji, and on to the US.

The inaugural Fiji Airlines flight will take off on April 10 next year with flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

This marks the first time Australians in Northern Queensland will be able to fly directly to Fiji, with the flight taking approximately 4 hours 30 minutes.

Introductory fares start from just $539 Lite return to Nadi. For those looking to head to the US there will be value return fares to Los Angeles and San Francisco via Fiji from $1,099.

Book now via fijiairways.com before Tuesday.

The Cairns to Nadi route will add 53,000 seats a year into the market and expands Fiji Airways global network.

Andre Viljoen, managing director and CEO of Fiji Airways, says the new route marks the sixth direct service from Australia to Fiji, creating new opportunities for travel.

“Our new service to Cairns is a further step in our network expansion, providing more travel options and enhanced connectivity for our customers," he said.

"Northern Australia holds a special allure for many of our travellers, and we're proud to bring them closer to it. This route also offers convenient onward connections from Cairns to Dallas via Nadi, making it easier than ever for travellers to access North America.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell says the new flights will provide a significant boost for Far North Queensland tourism operators.

“More visitors from across the South Pacific and the USA will experience the wonders of Tropical North Queensland when these new flights start touching down direct from Fiji," he said.

New AirAsia flights open up Indonesia for Australians

There is a lot more to Indonesia than the popular holiday playground of Bali.

Indonesia AirAsia is hoping to open up different regions of the country to Australian tourists with the announcement it will be flying from Jakarta to Perth for the first time, starting from June 2.

Fares on the route went on sale this week, with flights starting from $179.

The direct service will run four times a week, delivering over 1,400 visitor seats weekly through Perth and Jakarta airports, with plans to grow in line with demand.

Indonesia AirAsia is the only airline flying between Jakarta and Perth post pandemic.

Travel between Indonesia and Australia has always been popular for a number of reasons, including the convenient flight time and appeal of both destinations for shopping, dining, adventure, beaches, as well as education.

The Embassy of the Republic Indonesia says the number of Indonesian students in Australia this year has already reached more than 20,000.

“This is the first time Indonesia AirAsia has flown on this route - thanks to our tourism and airport partners for helping to make these new services a reality," said the CEO of Indonesia AirAsia, Veranita Yosephine,

"We foresee this new Jakarta-Perth route will be very popular for leisure travellers wanting to see more of Indonesia and for the more than 270 million Indonesians [more than 10 million residents in Jakarta alone] wanting to visit Perth and West Australia for business, leisure, studying and visiting friends and family."

And there was also excitement in Perth.

“This new service to and from Jakarta will deliver a significant boost for the business and tourism sectors and the broader economy," said acting CEO of Perth Airport Kate Holsgrove.

"More than 60 percent of the world’s population lives on our doorstep in Asia. Perth is closer than Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to 17 of Asia’s top 20 most populated cities - including Jakarta."