Qantas launches Auckland-Perth service, and new route to Johannesburg

The first of the revived Qantas Auckland-Perth flights touched down today. Photo / Matt Jelonek

Qantas today launched direct services linking Perth with Auckland and Johannesburg after landing Australian government funding.

The airline said the new services were a significant expansion of its western international hub.

Flight QF112 left Auckland this morning, the first Qantas service connecting New Zealand with Western Australia in almost eight years.

And flight QF65 left Perth Airport this afternoon for Johannesburg.

Air New Zealand already operated direct Auckland-Perth flights.

Qantas said its inaugural return service from Perth to Auckland was scheduled to depart tomorrow.

Tourism New Zealand regional director for Australia, Andrew Waddel, said the new route gave travellers more choice.

“We’ve seen a 17% year-on-year increase of Australian holiday arrivals into New Zealand,” he said.

The airline said the flights were possible because of Federal Government funding to the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The latter department looked after biosecurity and was Australia’s counterpart to the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Qantas said the funding enabled Perth Airport to invest in more staff and equipment to increase border and biosecurity capacity.

That enhanced capacity in turn allowed for Perth to host more international flights, Qantas said.

Ceremonies with people from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa marked the launch of the new routes. Photo / Matt Jelonek

Today’s inaugural flight to Johannesburg was almost full and the airline was seeing positive forward bookings, Qantas chief executive Cam Wallace said.

He said that showed strong appetite for direct travel from Western Australia to Auckland and to South Africa.

A 2021 census showed an estimated 60,000 Perth residents were born in New Zealand and about 38,000 in South Africa.

The flight to Auckland could be a stepping stone for Australians wanting to travel to New York.

Qantas competed with Air New Zealand flying direct from Auckland to New York, a journey taking about 16 hours.

Wallace said the new Perth flights offered more choice to travellers, including to Cape Town through a partnership with Airlink in South Africa.

Both flights were on an Airbus A330, a widebody twinjet with 27 business class seats and 224 in economy.

The Auckland-Perth flight took about six hours and 45 minutes and the Johannesburg flight took about 11 hours and 15 minutes.

The Western Australian Government said the Auckland route would deliver almost 40,000 extra inbound seats to the state annually.

It said New Zealand was the state’s third-largest international market, with 79,000 visitors in the year to June.

The WA Government said with strong South African and New Zealand communities in the state, the flights would support family reunions, tourism, and business travel.

Qantas operated Auckland-Perth flights from 2013 to early 2018.

John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.

• Stay ahead with the latest market moves, corporate updates, and economic insights by subscribing to our Business newsletter – your essential weekly round-up of all the business news you need.