Qantas to launch new international routes in 2022

Covid will reshape Qantas’ international network in some surprising ways.

By Bloomberg News, September 8 2021
Qantas to launch new international routes in 2022

Qantas is likely to fly to several new overseas destinations next year after pushing ahead with plans to resume international flights from December.

“We’ll probably try a lot of new routes internationally as certain borders open up,” Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said at a virtual business conference on Tuesday, without giving any specific destinations.

Joyce has previously name-checked the likes of South Korea and Taiwan as potential starters based on demand and the establishment of Covid-safe travel corridors based on factors such as high vaccination rates, relatively low community cases and minimal quarantine requirements for returning travellers.

Qantas has previously flown to Seoul and Taipei as far back as 1999, including a seasonal Brisbane-Seoul service over the 2005-2006 northern winter.

The airline plans to resume international flying from December 18 2021 with Singapore, London and Los Angeles all headlining the first week of the airline’s overseas return, along with Tokyo, Vancouver, Fiji and Honolulu.

Hong Kong, San Francisco and Dallas/Forth Worth are back on the map from mid-February, although destinations which “still have low vaccine rates and high levels of Covid infection” – such as Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg – won’t appear until sometime after April 2022.

The Airbus A380s will return from hibernation on July 1 2022 on the Sydney-Los Angeles route, with Sydney-Singapore-London to follow in November.

Read more: Here is Qantas’ new international flight schedule

Joyce also said he’s keen to revisit plans for non-stop ‘Project Sunrise’  services linking Sydney with London and New York as demand for direct flights picks up in the wake of the pandemic.

They would be the world’s longest non-stop commercial flights and rely on a new fleet of ultra-long range Airbus A350-1000 jets fitted with an extra fuel tank to tackle the 18-20 hour marathons.

Joyce also reiterated that the airline will carry only fully-vaccinated passengers on international flights.

The main unresolved issue is quarantine for those returning to Australia, Joyce said. He wants people to be allowed to self-isolate at home before they return a negative test, rather than in a hotel.

Read more: Australia completes home quarantine trial for overseas arrivals

Additional reporting by Executive Traveller

This article is published under license from Bloomberg Media: the original article can be viewed here

Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News is one of the world's largest and most respected international news agencies; its content is published on Executive Traveller under a licensed syndication arrangement.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

05 Oct 2016

Total posts 90

Sorry to be negative, but what is the point of this article? I came here thinking some interesting news and all it is, is a one liner "without giving any specific destinations..." 

Well I think it's interesting to know that Qantas is looking at new international destinations and they've already suggested some before, eg Taiwan and South Korea. Let's face it, any good news is welcome these days!

Qantas

19 Apr 2012

Total posts 1424

The point of the areas to report Joyce’s speech. The hints on where are Seoul et al are useful to know.

08 Sep 2021

Total posts 3

The underlying assumption is borders will be open by then & as WA have indicated interstate borders will remain closed till well into 2022 , the likelihood looks slim. Even then the fact Qantas are looking at upgrading the 330-200 range for trans Pacific might mean this is just a marketing gimic.

20 Oct 2015

Total posts 241

Well that will be Perth's loss, and the loss of all WA travellers. I can see Qantas opening up a few new routes if they feel there is demand and of course if they can get those country's governments to hand over a lot of their tourism marketing dollars. You can imagine how eager Seoul and Taiwan for example might be for tourists after all this time. Taiwan's actually a really interesting destination, maybe it will inherit some of the Aussies who are no longer keen on going to Hong Kong.

04 Sep 2019

Total posts 53

Route via Darwin. To bad to sad WA for being so stubborn 

01 Jul 2021

Total posts 37

about time Darwin started getting some love hopefully Qantas can start the new routes from Darwin there talking about.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

31 Mar 2016

Total posts 24

I second that about Taiwan ! 

I think a flight or 2 a week in late December/early January to Denver would be good for all the skiers who've been unable to ski most of this season & last in Australia or NZ.

05 Oct 2017

Total posts 520

That assumes hassle free entry into the USA (most probably possible) and especially, a hassle free return to Australia afterwards. NZ will probably become accessible again in December but that is obviously not ski season. Colorado for skiing sounds pretty awesome.

just got some lift ticket prices out of Colorado. From $74 U.S./day for an adult with 1 free kid, so that means 2 people for ~$100 AU/day total not each. So family of 2 adults+2 kids only ~$200 AU/day for all 4 to ski, not each. On snow accommodation is not even expensive. Seems to be similar price to off snow accommodation. I think it's post-covid pricing to get people back. Seems much cheaper than Canada & also much cheaper to get to as well.

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

05 Nov 2014

Total posts 60

An overseas destination’s vaccination rate is irrelevant - it’s the infection rate there which determines the risk to Australia. That effectively will make Qantas have to choose between Low Infection Rate destinations like Singapore and New Zealand or High Infection Rate destinations like the UK, USA and Fiji. But they won’t be able to serve both.

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

05 Nov 2014

Total posts 60

Fiji has a much higher vaccination rate than Australia, combined with the world’s worst death rate from Covid. Restarting flights would do to Australia what restarting flights from the USA did to Tahiti. Just as 1 infected limo driver caused over 100 deaths in NSW, arriving American tourists in Tahiti who turned positive after initially testing negative have led to a death rate thirty times worse than Australia with the local French hospitals completely overwhelmed.

I get that Qantas is latching on to what the Doherty Report recommends in Australia for partial opening - high vaccination rates - but both Fiji and Tahiti have vaccinated far more of their population than Australia - yet the virus is crushing them both.

And Tahiti is exclusively using the 88% effective Pfizer jab, whereas half of the vaccines administered here are the 60% effective AstraZeneca jab.

Covid is a strange disease. Whereas most vaccines render the recipient immune and prevent the passenger transmitting the virus, Covid vaccines when effective prevent serious illness but leave the passenger fully able to catch a mild dose and transmit it onto others.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

05 Oct 2016

Total posts 90

You might want to check your facts on the vaccine "effectiveness". Most studies I've read don't have them much different % wise... In fact some are indicating AZ may even last longer than Pz.

X4platypus Banned
X4platypus Banned

23 Aug 2021

Total posts 2

Lets make sure that anyone vaccinated with sinovac don't get in. They risk spreading new mutations given the low efficacy. 

Only those vaccinated with phifzer,astrazenca,moderna and j&j will be allowed hopefully.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

11 Oct 2014

Total posts 694

  • I'm wondering if you are aware that China has two locally developed vaccines - Sinovac and Sinopharm ? 
  • Is the Russian Sputnik vaccine on or off your list? 
  • What of the Abdala vaccine developed and approved by Cuba - and the other three products that are in test? Soberana and Soberana+, each with a reported efficacy rate of 92% +.

The J&J product probably may not be approved for loccal use, given that it is an adeno-based vaccine, similar to the locally produced Astra Zeneca product. However, it may receive approval for travellers arriving from North America, given that it was the (replacement) product issued instead of AZ in the USA.

Yes, you will look at Pfizer, Astra Zeneca. Moderna vaccines. But don't forget Novavax, which is waiting finalisation f the product and testing / approval in the USA. This is another mRNA vaccine, which Australia ordered a ton of, even before Moderna was thought of.

05 Oct 2017

Total posts 520

Yes I can't really see this plan working if governments are going to play politics with where a vaccine is made. If China's vaccines aren't accepted, there simply won't be any Chinese visitors coming. That's a multi billion dollar loss for the tourism, education and business sectors.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

11 Oct 2014

Total posts 694

Back on track, we all know that things change quickly ~ but I'm curious to know when airlines - other than Qantas - will start to make announcements about returning Australian services? Surely our esteemed Prime Minister is not making 'secret' deals with QF and VA about re-opening?  

If all of this is really happening with London, LAX and Singapore, then surely the likes of Cathay, SIngapore, Emirates, American, Delta, United, BA, and maybe even Air New Zealand might like to start reinvigorating their reservations and sales functions? It's nice to have operational openings back - but it is even better when you have passengers!

heard that Fiji Airways will be going daily direct SYD/LAX/SYD from about the same time as Qantas, but want to start at least flights from BNE, SYD, MEL to NAN in November. They are always much much cheaper, if get in early & imo, better than Qantas & with Fiji Airways, you can upgrade straight from any economy fare to the best business class, by bidding online, at least across the Pacific on their A350s. Last time I looked the minimum bid to upgrade on a long haul sector was $865 AU.

CORRECTION

Fiji air will be again doing daily SYD/LAX but only direct 6 days a week. Only question is from what date ?

Obviously they can use any of their jet aircraft to fly SYD/NAN/SYD & maybe to start with, it might be a B738, rather than A350, A332 or A333. Demand will determine that. Also their A332s can easily reach LAX, unlike Qantas's BNE/LAX or LAX/BNE. As LAX/BNE with Qantas will almost certainly be LAX/NAN/BNE why don't Qantas just fly BNE/NAN/LAX/NAN/BNE with a very quick slash & dash in NAN. It would also mean more tourists for Fiji. Am sure the Fiji authorities would allow tourists from both ends to get off in Fiji, even if only as a stopover. Fiji is a great place to unwind after hectic USA.

20 Oct 2015

Total posts 241

SQ has been flying to Australia pretty much non-stop during the pandemic, obviously reduced frequency, eg no more 4x daily SYD-SIN, just 2x I think, and mainly for cargo not passengers due to caps, but as soon as travel to Singapore is given the okay, all SQ has to do is let more people onto its planes. As for all the test I expect they are sort of 'on standby' so as soon as they get the go-ahead from the government they can add flights back onto the schedule.

11 Apr 2018

Total posts 30

I see Project Sunrise is mentioned for cities like NYC but just looking at Qantas flights up to July 2022 lt appears they have no plans to use Qantas planes internally in USA as have previously ? Referring to LAX to JFK for example . I imagine Project Sunrise is many many months away 

20 Oct 2015

Total posts 241

Project Sunrise is many many years away, probably 2024 if Qantas gives it the green light at the end of this year. As far as LAX to JFK, this isn't on offer from Qantas, it was also missing from the airline's previous restart timetables. A bit strange because it's not as if the 787 can do much apart from sit on the ground when it arrives in LAX in the morning and then flies back to Australia in the evening, may as well fly it LAX-JFK-LAX, but this probably is more to do with the cost of crew for that flight and other operating costs at a time when demand from LAX to JFK will be very low, after all it's not as if Qantas will have A380s from SYD and MEL to LAX for a while.

gold

think the Qantas LAX/JFK/LAX can carry an unlimited amount of freight, which must earn some reasonable revenue.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Sep 2021

Total posts 3

What about SYD-SCL? 

Etihad - Etihad Guest

19 Mar 2018

Total posts 68

Firstly, no way.

If you're going on hiatus, you've to rebuild from scratch, starting from short haul. You think Indonesia will grant Qantas overfly rights if they want to serve SIN and not DPS or SUB or CGK?

Expect them to change alliance first. oneworld ain't working for them. What's the point of being in oneworld when the only ones interested in actually cconnecting your country are Star Alliance and SkyTeam members.

levinn

Why ? Qantas & other airlines need more leisure routes as business traffic will take a while. Already know a hundred people who want to go overseas in mid Nov, when borders open to all those vaccinated.

05 Oct 2017

Total posts 520

All the more reason to offer flights to Bali. Plenty of airlines already service Singapore and although a lucrative market for Qantas, they can build up their capacity by first serving Bali, Fiji and perhaps even consider serving Phuket, although they'll probably get Jetstar to fly that route as they did pre-Covid.


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