Oneworld member Qantas is adding another direct service between Australia and Europe with the launch of a new route between Perth and Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and European summer.
Following the success of the flag carrier’s unique direct flights from Perth to London and Rome, the new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris.
From 12 July 2024, the 17-hour Perth-Paris flights will initially operate four days per week during the peak European summer with the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, reducing to three services a week from mid-August 2024.
“This route has been on our wish list for a while and we think customers will be as pleased as we are to see it go on sale today,” said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.
“Our direct flights to London and Rome have been hugely popular and Paris is the next most-requested destination, so we know the demand for this service will be strong as well.
“Some of the first customers on these flights will be Australian athletes heading to Paris to compete at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We’re the only airline offering these direct flights rather than going through a mid-point because the key market we serve is Australia. Our in-flight service is designed with long-haul travel in mind.
The arrival of new aircraft in recent months and recent increases in flying will see the Qantas Group’s international capacity increase to above 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels by the end year and return to 100 per cent by the middle of next year.
The new flights will operate through Qantas’ existing terminal at Perth airport (Terminal 3), which will allow seamless connections to other domestic destinations in Australia. Qantas and Perth airport are making positive progress in negotiations about moving its operations to Terminal 1, the airline said.
The Paris service will also offer customers another option for connecting to more than 70 destinations across the region, including Barcelona, Munich, Frankfurt and Athens, and 12 destinations within France through Qantas’ network of partners.
The Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner seats 42 passengers in business class across a 1-2-1 configuration, plus 28 in 2-3-2 premium economy, and just 166 in standard economy across a 3-3-3 configuration.
