Qantas selects Darwin as hub city for direct flights between Australia and London from November 14

Territorians will soon be able to fly direct to London after national carrier Qantas selected Darwin as the hub city for flights between Australia and the UK.

TERRITORIANS will soon be able to fly direct to London after national carrier Qantas selected Darwin as the hub city for flights between Australia and London.

Qantas and the Northern Territory Government made the announcement on Friday night, with flights to commence on November 14.

It means five flights a week in and out of Australia will disembark in Darwin. Flights will leave the capital every day except Wednesday and Sunday.

The first flight will be Sydney-Darwin-London, while the Melbourne-Darwin-London route is currently scheduled to begin on December 18, but could commence earlier.

Territorians will be able to join the flights in Darwin and fly non-stop to London.

Qantas’ announcement comes after the Western Australian Government told the carrier it would not re-open its borders in line with the Commonwealth Government’s Covid road map.

Darwin and Singapore were the two cities tapped by Qantas as part of the selection process – with the Territory Government’s decision to establish a travel bubble tipping the decision to Darwin.

The hub arrangement will remain in place at least until April.

Territorians will soon be able to fly non-stop from Darwin to London. Picture - Sam Mooy

The travel bubble means passengers will have to show proof they are fully vaccinated, wear a mask during travel and at the airport, return a negative PCR test before boarding a connecting flight to Darwin and show no Covid-19 symptoms.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the hub will bring new opportunities to the Territory.

“We are Australia’s comeback capital, and now we’re taking the comeback direct to Europe,” he said.

“From Parap to Piccadilly, the opportunities are endless. The convenience of this route will mean tapping into brand new markets for tourism and business.

“It will also open up new opportunities for developing the aviation skills sector here in the Northern Territory.

“I thank Qantas and the Darwin International Airport for working with us to turn this direct route into reality, which will mark a real turning point for the nation as we work towards the next stages of the National Plan.

“The challenge now if to show Qantas there is no better place to be. We’ve been the best throughout this crisis and we have no doubt Territorians will back in this massive opportunity.”

Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce praised the Territory Government for helping the airline forge the new route in a Covid-affected operating environment.

“The NT Government has worked closely with us to make these flights happen and I’d like to thank the Chief Minister and his team for finding a solution that is safe and streamlined,” Mr Joyce said.

“The Kangaroo route is one of the most iconic on the Qantas international network and we are delighted that Darwin will play a vital role in Australia’s post pandemic reopening to the world.

“Qantas has been flying repatriation services from London to Darwin as part of the airline’s efforts to help bring Australians home over the past 12 months, so our pilots already have extensive experience operating this particular route.

Originally published as Qantas selects Darwin as hub city for direct flights between Australia and London from November 14