Qantas has resumed direct flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong after a three year hiatus.
The new services for QF29 will initially be taking off three times per week, increasing to four by mid-July and then daily from October.
Qantas international CEO Cameron Wallace said Hong Kong is one of the company’s most popular destinations and they are pleased to be flying there direct from Melbourne again.
“As well as providing a convenient service to Victorian-based business travellers and holiday makers, the flights will also help entice more tourists to Victoria to experience some of Australia’s best wine regions and Melbourne’s popular dining culture,” Mr Wallace said.
“We are continuing to expand our international network out of Victoria to support customer demand and this launch comes just in time for the Winter holiday period, making it easy for Victorians to escape to Hong Kong for a short break.”
The move comes after the airline relaunched its direct Sydney to New York service.
Last week, the national carrier announced the US route recommenced with a major change.
Instead of flying to the Big Apple via Los Angeles, the flight will now go via Auckland to avoid the hustle and bustle of what is one of the world’s busiest airports, LAX.
Outgoing CEO Alan Joyce told media at a press conference that the move will provide better connections.
“Los Angeles had a lot of issues with connectivity — you had to pick up your bag, go through customs and immigration and had to check in again for the Qantas flight that went to NY,” he told reporters at Auckland Airport before boarding the inaugural NZ-NY flight with the airline on June 14.
“And we never had the aircraft until the 787s to be able to do Auckland to New York.”
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Qantas continues to restore international capacity with extra flights, more aircraft and new routes in line with strong travel demand.
The airline is expected to return to around 100 per cent of its international network pre-covid capacity by March 2024, up from around 85 per cent of pre-covid levels today. This is a significant increase from just 45 per cent 12 months ago.
— with Shireen Khalil
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