Qantas will begin a non-stop flight between Darwin and Singapore, the carrier’s second international connection from the Northern Territory. Starting in December, the Australian airline’s new flights will add more than 60,000 seats on the route annually.
«The direct service is not only great news for Territorians wishing to visit Singapore, but also for those traveling to London, Europe, and Southeast Asia, with connections to popular destinations such as Phuket and Kuala Lumpur with our partner airlines, saving hours of travel time,» said Cam Wallace, chief executive officer of Qantas International.
The flights will offer territories a direct option from Qantas to Singapore and a new way to connect to Europe or Asia with partner airlines. Airline customers traveling from Darwin will save five hours of flying time by not having to fly through other Australian cities to reach London.
From December 9, 2024, flights will initially operate five times a week with its two-class Embraer E190 aircraft, increasing to daily flights from March 2025. This new service is made possible by the establishment of the E190 base, with the size, and range of aircraft opening up new routes that would be viable with larger aircraft, including the start of international flights to Dili in 2022.
«The new flights will benefit locals wanting to travel overseas and will also connect our growing cohort of business travelers to international markets,» said Joel Bowden, Australia’s Minister for Tourism and Hospitality.
Qantas has a long history of flying between Darwin and Singapore, with Darwin being the last Australian stopover on the original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London in 1935. In those days, the Darwin to Singapore flight made five four-and-a-half day stopovers versus a 4:45 hour flight on the new direct connection.
More recently, Qantas last operated non-stop flights between Darwin and Singapore in 2006. Qantas offers daily flights from Darwin, Brisbane, London Heathrow, and Perth to Changi International Airport, 11 flights a week from Melbourne, and 15 flights a week from Sydney.
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