For the first time since April 2013, Qantas international passengers will be able to fly in and out of Adelaide

For the first time since April 2013, the ‘flying kangaroo’ is set to unveil new international flights out of Adelaide.

Qantas international passengers will be able to fly in and out of Adelaide for the first time in more than a decade as Australia’s national carrier is set to begin New Zealand flights.

South Australia has been without any direct international Qantas flight operated out of Adelaide Airport since QF81 to Singapore departed in April 2013.

But in a major announcement on Thursday, Qantas executives are expected to unveil the “flying Kangaroo” will begin return flights to Auckland, on NZ’s North Island within months.

While specific details are unclear on when the international flights will start or how long airfares will be available to passengers, it is understood the route will not open until later this year.

Qantas international passengers will be able to fly in and out of Adelaide for the first time in more than a decade.

Qantas, which has come under repeated fire for not having any international routes from Adelaide Airport, has invested in a new business lounge that is set to open on Friday.

Experts say Auckland is considered an excellent transit city for onward flights to America’s east coast especially New York’s JFK Airport that takes 17 hours.

Currently eight airlines offer overseas flights from Adelaide including Air Zealand to Auckland five times a week.

Emirates flies daily to Dubai as does Qatar Airways to Doha. Singapore Airlines either flies each day or twice a day to its Asia namesake city depending on demand.

Malaysia Airlines flies internationally five times a week while China Southern has between three and five days every seven days at its peak but those flights are seasonal.

Budget carrier Jetstar Airways, which is a Qantas subsidiary, flies to various locations including twice a day to Bali while Indonesia AirAsia will fly to the province four times each week from next month.

Fiji Airways, which Qantas is a partner with, flies to the South Pacific nation’s main city Nadi five times a week.

A 15-hour United Airlines flights from Adelaide to San Francisco will operate three times a week from December.

Tourism industry leaders have questioned how Qantas has remained conspicuously absent from Adelaide’s international options for years including in the past few years since the Covid-19 pandemic ended.

Earlier this year Qantas’ announced 28 A321XLR new airbuses to its fleet that was seen among the industry as indicating Adelaide international routes would resume.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, who has held talks with Mr Malinauskas, in March said “Adelaide will absolutely be a route and a network that we look at”.

Qantas last week announced two new routes including flights from Perth to Auckland and another from WA to Johannesburg that will begin operations in December.

Qantas International’s chief executive Cam Wallace will unveil details outside the lounge later on Thursday alongside Premier Peter Malinauskas.

A Qantas spokeswoman declined to comment on Wednesday night as did spokesmen for Mr Malinauskas and Adelaide Airport.

Originally published as For the first time since April 2013, Qantas international passengers will be able to fly in and out of Adelaide