Written by ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
Qantas has announced a reduction, reactivation and expansion in its services to Asia.
The first change takes off on July 28 when Qantas suspends its Sydney-Shanghai service due to low demand.
Qantas resumed its Sydney-Shanghai service in October last year after a covid-enforced pause but demand failed to recover, the airline said.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said that in some months, their flights to and from Shanghai have been operating around half-full capacity.
“That’s why we’ve decided to suspend this route and boost flying to other popular destinations with a new route from Brisbane to Manila and additional flights to Singapore and Bengaluru (India),” he explained.
“This will create more choice for our corporate and leisure customers and make it even easier for them to access the places they need to travel to in Asia.”
He confirmed that the airline will maintain a presence in China and would look to return to Shanghai at a later date.
Customers booked to travel on Shanghai flights from July 28 will be contacted and offered a full refund or offered rebooking on alternative flights.
Aircraft used on this route will be redirected to other Asian destinations.
MANILA CALLS
Qantas is also reactivating four new Manila services as of October 28 with two extra Singapore services due will take off a day earlier (October 27).
Brisbane Airport forecasts point to almost 170,000 new inbound seats over three years worth $81.5 million in overnight visitor expenditure and up to new 340 jobs from the Manila service.
“The Philippines is currently Brisbane’s 12th biggest inbound tourism market. Qantas will cement it as a top 10 player for Queensland,” said Gert-Jan de Graaff, Brisbane Airport CEO.
An Airbus A330-200 will service the route with up to 15 tonnes of export cargo on every outbound flight.
“The Philippines is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a key trading partner for Queensland.
“With our state home to a vibrant Filipino community, the business and tourism opportunities generated by this expanded connectivity will no doubt be a success,” Mr de Graaff said.
The route is supported by the Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, a joint initiative between the Queensland Government and the state’s biggest airports.
Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy described the announcement as “terrific news”.
“Manila to Brisbane is an important international route for Queensland as it provides increased capacity to a rapidly growing South-East Asia market,” he said.
“As an aviation super hub, the Philippines is a strategic connection for international students and overseas travellers looking to enjoy Queensland’s great lifestyle and world-class visitor experiences, as well as the State’s exporters.”
Mr Wallace said the decision was based on current passenger numbers.
“We know large numbers of our customers have been travelling between Manila and Brisbane via our existing Sydney service, which gives us great confidence about how this route will perform when flights start,” he said.
QF97 will depart Brisbane on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; QF98 will depart Manila on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
SINGAPORE BOOST
Qantas will also expand its Singapore-Brisbane service to improve connectivity with their daily Singapore-London service and cut four hours of travel time.
“By the time these extra services begin, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will be opening, offering visitors a whole new world of entertainment and spectacular sky-high views,” said Mr de Graaff.
The decision adds more than 2500 extra seats a week between Australia and the island state.
Qantas is boosting its Sydney-Singapore services from 14 to 17 return flights a week as of December 11 while its Brisbane-Singapore service will see flights rise from seven to nine as of October 27.
• Flights from Sydney to Bengaluru will increase from five per week to daily to cater for strong demand over the peak holiday season (mid-December 2024 to late March 2025), adding over 12,000 seats.
Tasman Aircraft 