Qantas has confirmed that their flagship service to London from Melbourne and Sydney will temporarily be rerouted via Darwin from November 14, 2021 through at least April 2022. At that time, flights will once again operate via Perth.
On Friday (October 8, 2021), Qantas announced that following an agreement with the Northern Territory (NT) Government and Darwin Airport, they will temporarily reroute their flagship London service from Melbourne and Sydney via Darwin, rather than Perth. The Sydney-Darwin-London route will launch on November 14th, while Melbourne-Darwin-London service is scheduled to start on December 18th, but could start earlier depending on discussions with the Victorian Government. The temporary arrangement will be in place from November 2021 through at least April 2022, when flights will once again operate via Perth.
In Friday’s announcement, Qantas Group’s CEO, Alan Joyce, said,
“The NT Government has worked closely with us to make these flights happen and I’d like to thank the Chief Minister and his team for finding a solution that is safe and streamlined. The Kangaroo route is one of the most iconic on the Qantas international network and we are delighted that Darwin will play a vital role in Australia’s post pandemic reopening to the world. Qantas has been flying repatriation services from London to Darwin as part of the airline’s efforts to help bring Australians home over the past 12 months, so our pilots already have extensive experience operating this particular route.”
Also commenting on the London flights being rerouted via Darwin, The Northern Territory’s Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, added,
“Darwin is Australia’s comeback capital, and now we’re taking the comeback direct to Europe. From Parap to Piccadilly, the opportunities are endless. The convenience of this route will mean tapping into brand new markets for tourism and business. It will also open up new opportunities for developing the aviation skills sector here in the Northern Territory. I thank Qantas and the Darwin International Airport for working with us to turn this direct route into reality, which will mark a real turning point for the nation as we work towards the next stages of the National Plan.”
From November 14, 2021, Qantas Flight 1 will depart Sydney five times weekly at 18:30 and arrive in Darwin at 21:25, for a brief refueling stop ahead of the 17 hour and 20 minute 13,800km flight to London’s Heathrow Airport. Qantas will also restart flights between Sydney and Los Angeles in November 2021, while all other international flights are scheduled to resume from December 18, 2021. All guests on Qantas’ international flights will be required to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-approved or recognized vaccine (with some exceptions for medical reasons and children). Travelers will also be required to produce a Negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure, and to quarantine at home for seven days upon arrival in New South Wales.
Source: Qantas