Qantas will offer two new routes, with flights from Perth to Auckland and Johannesburg taking off from December 2025.
These routes unlock more connections for Australians across the airline’s international and domestic network which now spans more than 100 destinations around the world.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said: “Our new Perth to Auckland route offers a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service, while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink.”
Available to book today, the new services also reinforce the growth of Qantas’ western hub, adding over 155,000 seats in and out of Perth each year. Qantas will operate both routes three times per week using A330 aircraft, each of which offers 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats. The new routes also create jobs to support the local Western Australia economy and boosting inbound tourism to the state.
“By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network,” Wallace said.
The routes will also enable further international connectivity for New Zealand and South Africa on the Qantas network and its comprehensive global airline partner network.
Flights from Federal Government funds
These flights have been made possible by funding allocated from the Federal Government to Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry to deliver additional border services at airports. The funding will enable Perth Airport to invest in additional staffing, equipment and facilities that increase border and biosecurity capacity and in turn allow the airport to host more international flights.
Perth Airport chief commercial and aviation office Kate Holsgrove said the new routes are great news for Western Australia.
“Perth is a dynamic, expanding hub with incredible growth opportunities and we remain focused on working with our airline partners to grow aviation connectivity to create more opportunities for Western Australia’s tourism industry and provide more options for Western Australians to travel.
“Creating additional capacity within Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 will allow Qantas to add or expand their services to Western Australia and is an important interim measure as we build new terminal facilities at Airport Central so Qantas can relocate in 2031.”
WA Hotels welcome boost
The Australia Hotels Association (AHA) WA has welcomed Qantas’ announcement, which will further cement Perth’s position as a key international gateway and boost Western Australia’s appeal as a world-class tourism destination.
AHA (WA) CEO Bradley Woods said the increased air capacity will deliver significant benefits to the state’s hotels and hospitality sector.
“The new routes open important inbound markets from New Zealand and South Africa, and will help drive demand for hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and tourism experiences across WA.
“As we continue to promote WA as a premium destination, seamless air travel is vital, and these new routes will make it easier for international visitors to experience everything WA has to offer,” Woods added. “This commitment by Qantas to expand Perth’s international network will attract more overseas visitors, create jobs and provide a critical boost to the state’s economy.”
The inaugural Perth to Johannesburg service will take off on 7 December 2025, and the inaugural Perth to Auckland service takes off on 8 December 2025. Perth to Auckland will operate as QF111 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with an approximate flight time of 6 hours 45 minutes. Perth to Johannesburg will operate as QF65 on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with an approximate flight time of 11 hours 15 minutes
Further enhancements to international schedule
Qantas has also announced it will introduce its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles daily from October 2025. This will significantly increase premium seat availability for Queensland customers with the additional choice of Premium Economy.
As part of the ongoing partnership between American Airlines and Qantas, the airlines will together make some seasonal changes to Brisbane and Melbourne flying over the busy Australian summer period.
For December 2025 and January 2026, the airlines will enable a continuation of daily 787 Dreamliner services between Brisbane and Los Angeles with Qantas operating four flights per week and American Airlines operating three flights per week. For this same period, Qantas will increase Boeing 787 flights between Melbourne and Dallas to daily, with its Boeing 787 flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles returning to daily from February 2026.
As part of the Group’s dual-brand strategy, Jetstar will cease flying between Sydney and Honolulu after the last flight on Friday 24 October 2025 with its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to be redeployed to other destinations in Asia. Qantas will subsequently operate between 5 to 6 services per week between Sydney and Honolulu, which remains popular amongst customers following the recent launch of its flights from Melbourne to the Hawaiian capital.
As previously announced, Qantas’ final A380 is returning to service with the aircraft deployed on daily flights between Sydney and Dallas Fort Worth from January 2026. This will see more premium seats (First, Business and Premium Economy) offered on the route.
Hear what else Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace had to say about the latest expansion here:
