New Asian and African routes set for Perth
Thai Airways is set to resume its daily service between Western Australia’s capital and Bangkok from March 27, 2024.
The service will introduce more than 93,000 airline seats into Perth each year.
Meanwhile South African Airways will resume direct flights between Perth and Johannesburg from April 2024.
The route will be serviced three times a week, bringing in another 39,000 airline seats to Perth each year.
New connection to be established between Turkey and Australia
Turkish Airlines will launch the first one-stop direct route between Turkey and Australia in March 2024, when it begins an Istanbul-Melbourne service three times a week.
The service was attracted with support from the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport and has potential to become a daily service in future.
Initially the route will go via Singapore, with Turkish Airlines planning to acquire new aircraft that will enable a non-stop service in future.
The state government says a daily route would bring 109,500 new seats into Melbourne each year, with an economic value of $132 million.
Darwin to get another important international connection
Qantas has announced it will offer a Darwin-Singapore service from December 2024.
Beginning from December 9, the route will initially have five services per week, rising to daily in March 2025.
The service has been enabled by the establishment of an Embraer E190 jet base in Darwin by Qantas, announced in 2022.
The Embraer E190 aircraft have up to 97 seats and a five-hour range, facilitating the four-hour, 50-minute route between Darwin and Singapore.
The service will provide another direct route for international travellers into and out of Australia’s Top End, boosting its attraction for international conferences and incentives. Singapore Airlines already operates flights between the two destinations.
