Qantas to restart Sydney-Port Moresby flights

Qantas will resume flights between Sydney and Port Moresby early next year, a move which the airline says is partly driven by the debut of PNG’s new NRL football team The Chiefs.

There’ll be two flights per week (QF203/QF204), every Monday and Friday on the workhorse Boeing 737 from March 2026.

Qantas previously ran Sydney-Port Moresby flights from April 2024 to February 2025, when the short-lived route was axed due to a reported combination of soft demand and the need to free up aircraft to be used elsewhere.

This time around, Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace says there’s a growing appetite across government, business, sporting and leisure markets, and an expanded fleet which puts the 737 back on the roster.

“We’re seeing growth in business travel between Sydney and Port Moresby and that's building further as PNG ramps up preparations for Australia’s premier rugby league competition in 2028.”

“The preparation work alone is generating travel, and once the team starts playing and fans and teams are travelling for matches, we expect that to increase significantly,” Wallace added.

The Friday-Monday schedule is intended to encourage fans of Sydney-based NRL teams to fly to Port Moresby and watch their side battle The Chiefs on the weekend.

“It’s great to have this service back and give customers more options. Combined with our daily Brisbane service, PNG has great connections to Australia’s two largest cities and access to our broader network.”

The route will be self-supporting, with no government funding underwriting it.

Qantas began flying to Papua New Guinea in the 1940s, and in 1959 Port Moresby was used as a refuelling point for Qantas flights to Hong Kong. 

The experience in 2025 will be a little more comfortable on board the Boeing 737, with 12 seats in business class and 162 in economy.

This will eventually include 48 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats on any 737 which has been refitted with new seats.