Today, Qantas launched the first flight connecting Darwin and Canberra in nine years. QantasLink will offer up to five weekly return flights on the route which will be serviced with Embraer E190 regional jets, providing nearly 1,000 seats weekly.
On Monday (June 21, 2021), Qantas announced the launch of the first flights between Darwin and Canberra in nine years, providing a new link between the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital territory. QantasLink will offer up to five weekly return flights on the route which will be serviced by Embraer E190 regional jets, providing nearly 1,000 weekly seats. The E190 made its debut on the QantasLink network last month as part of a partnership with Alliance Airlines. The 94-seat aircraft has provided the opportunity to open new routes that would not have been viable with Qantas’ existing fleet.
In Monday’s announcement, QantasLink’s CEO, John Gissing, said,
“We’ve seen strong demand from travellers in both Darwin and Canberra since the route first went on sale last month. With no other airline currently operating on the route, the direct flights will save business and leisure travellers more than two hours travel time on a round trip instead of flying via other capital cities. More visitors to Darwin will be great for the Northern Territory economy with flow on benefits for local businesses in their recovery from the impact of COVID. These flights also provide travellers from regional New South Wales with a convenient gateway to the Northern Territory and they’re launching just in time for a holiday during the colder winter months.”
The new Darwin-Canberra route is just the latest of recent capacity increases for the Darwin market, which in response to increased demand, has seen more flight frequencies and the deployment of larger aircraft. For the peak travel season from July through September, Qantas will offer up to 120 percent of pre-pandemic capacity on the Melbourne-Darwin route, while capacity to Darwin from Sydney, Perth and Adelaide, will all be up 60 percent over the same period. The new Darwin-Canberra route is the 45th route the Qantas Group has launched since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Qantas’ guests can book their travel with confidence as the airline’s Fly Flexible policy allows customers who book flights before July 31, 2021 unlimited free date changes for travel before February 22, 2022, though a fare difference might apply.
Source: Qantas