As first flagged by Business News in February, Qantas has finally announced its nonstop Perth to Paris flights in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and European summer.
As first flagged by Business News in February, Qantas has finally announced its nonstop Perth to Paris flights in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and European summer.
The lengthy delayed has been caused by a lack of aircraft on one hand and the impasse between the airline and Perth Airport over a range of issues from passenger charges to the airline’s move to the eastern side of the airport in a new terminal that would be built onto T1.
With a new CEO in the cockpit, the airport dispute all but resolved subject to legal tick-offs and more aircraft available Paris has finally been given the green light.
And Qantas also said that the two parties “are making positive progress in negotiations about moving its operations to Terminal 1.”
The new 17-hour service kicks off on July 12, 2024, and will initially operate four days per week during the peak European summer with the airline’s Boeing 787s. Then the services will move to three per week from mid-August 2024.
Qantas Group chief executive 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,” Ms 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 flight will operate through Qantas’ existing terminal at Perth Airport (Terminal 3), which will allow seamless connections to other domestic destinations in Australia.
“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," WA Premier Roger Cook said.
The Paris service will also offer customers another option for connecting to more than 70 destinations across the region, 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.
