Qantas announces daily return flights between the Whitsundays and Brisbane

The flying kangaroo will return to the Whitsundays for the first time in two decades, delivering more travel options to key eastern seaboard capital cities.

It has been more than two decades since Whitsunday Coast Airport welcomed the flying kangaroo but that is set to change with Qantas announcing daily return flights between the Whitsundays and Brisbane.

The new flights, announced on Thursday, will launch in time for the September school holidays creating an extra 50,000 plus seats annually.

Qantas will promote the new flights and the Whitsundays to millions of frequent flyers across the country, offering travellers complimentary food and drinks, baggage and lounge access for eligible passengers in Brisbane Airport.

Whitsunday Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Craig Turner said the aim was to offer more choice for the corporate and premium leisure market, with the improved connectivity between three eastern seaboard capital cities, in turn benefiting the local economy’s three pillars of tourism, agriculture and mining.

“With the addition of Qantas to our flight schedule the Whitsundays brand continues its transformation from a simple backpacker experience to be a premium tourism destination for couples and families,” Mr Turner said.

“This is a significant deal and will help increase capacity by over 30 per cent on our 2019 numbers which to date, is our highest year on record.”

With international borders still largely closed, Qantaslink CEO John Gissing expected the new route to appeal to the many Queenslanders looking to holiday in their own state.

“Covid has meant we’ve seen demand for travel within the Sunshine State soar in the past year,” he said.

“These new flights open up the Whitsunday region to Qantas customers across the country who will be able to seamlessly connect through Brisbane from our extensive domestic network.”

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Tash Wheeler praised the council and the Whitsunday Coast Airport team for securing the deal with Qantas.

“The announcement is a fantastic win for the Whitsundays and showcases that our collaborative marketing efforts are cutting through domestically and driving visitation to the region,” she said.

“The new 50,000 plus seats annually with Qantas reinforces that the Whitsundays is one of the most sought-after domestic holiday destinations and we can’t wait to welcome more visitors to the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef.”