Qantas ramps up most new routes in a century

The COVID crisis has seen Qantas add nine new routes in the last two months, with three of those being unveiled on Friday.

Since border restrictions began to ease in September, Qantas has established nine new routes.

The COVID-19 crisis has seen Qantas add more new routes in the last two months than in any other eight-week period in the airline’s 100-year history.

The Flying Kangaroo will on Friday announce another three routes the airline has not previously flown before, including Canberra-Sunshine Coast, Canberra-Cairns and Canberra-Hobart.

The services take to nine the number of new routes established by Qantas since border restrictions began to ease in September, the greatest number of additions in a two-month period in its 100 years of operation.

QantasLink will not have the routes to itself though, with Brisbane-based Alliance launching a Canberra-Sunshine Coast-Cairns route two weeks ago, and Link Air operating Canberra-Hobart.

The QantasLink flights on the routes will begin in coming weeks using Boeing 717 aircraft, with fares from $159 one way on Canberra-Hobart, $169 on Canberra-Sunshine Coast and $199 for Canberra-Cairns.

Other routes being flown by Qantas for the first time include Perth-Hobart, Sydney-Merimbula, Brisbane-Tamworth, Brisbane-Port Macquarie, Sydney-Launceston and Canberra- Gold Coast.

Qantas Domestic chief executive Andrew David said the routes were designed to tap into demand for domestic travel, in the absence of overseas flights.

“With international borders still closed, Australians are more inspired than ever to explore

places in their own backyard,” Mr David said.

“We’ve taken a fresh look at our network, creating direct access to destinations which were

previously only available to our customers by connecting via another city, saving hours of

travel time.”

He said as well as giving travellers more options, the routes would see more Qantas employees get back to work.

About 18,000 Qantas and Jetstar workers remain stood down, with the airlines operating at about 30 per cent of capacity.

Canberra Airport has welcomed new air routes out of the city which will help stimulate travel. Picture: Sean Davey

That will jump to 40 per cent when NSW reopens to Victoria on November 23, and group chief executive Alan Joyce was hopeful of reaching 50 per cent capacity by Christmas.

The new routes out of Canberra would also help the recovery of the national capital’s airport, which was reduced to operating at 1.2 per cent of pre-COVID-19 capacity at the height of the pandemic.

Canberra Airport chief executive Stephen Byron welcomed the Qantas announcement, as “reinforcing the role of the airport as a hub”.

He was confident the domestic leisure routes would become a permanent fixture in the Qantas network, even after state borders reopened to Sydney.

“I think they’re here to stay,” Mr Byron said, adding that the Alliance and Link Air flights had received a fantastic response from travellers.

More flights also meant more employment at the airport’s retailers, after the workforce dwindled from 62 to two during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We’ve now got a workforce of 12, and that should soon get up to 15,” he said.

Mr Byron also noted the return of business travellers, with “more people in suits” noticeable at the airport on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

“It’s a sign that very slowly, things are returning to some sort of normality,” he added.