In great news for the Australian travelling public, the flying Kangaroo has made one of the most comprehensive announcements in recent times to boost and expand its international network closer in line to pre-pandemic capacity. From October 2023 the national carrier will add around 1 million seats across its international network over the following 12 months which will offer more choice and options across popular destinations across Asia, the USA and the Pacific.
The capacity boost is believed to restore the airline’s overseas capacity to close to 100% of pre pandemic levels by march 2023 which would be up 44% from just 12 months ago and 84% today. In order to help the airline achieve its goal it is expected to hire a further 300 crew and pilots to add to the already 2,400 pilots and crew the airline has hired since borders reopened.
In announcing the new capacity boost to his career international network Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said “The rebound in demand for international travel since borders reopened has been incredibly strong and this boost to our network will add hundreds of thousands of seats in time for the busy Australian summer holiday period,”
“Qantas has been the most on-time major domestic airline for the past eight months in a row and that improved performance means we can release some of the aircraft we’ve had in reserve. That reflects more parts of the aviation supply chain returning to normal and it’s a huge credit to the hard work of our people across the Group.
“While airlines globally are working to restore capacity to meet demand, there is still a mismatch between supply and demand for international flying. But with more of our aircraft back in the air, new 787s joining our fleet and our contract with Finnair, we’ve got more seats for our customers and more opportunity for Qantas crew as we increase our own flying.
“We know our customers are looking for great value and this additional capacity will also put downward pressure on fares.”
Qantas’s increased international schedule changes (courtesy Qantas)
| United States | ||
| Melbourne – Los Angeles | Flights to increase from daily to nine per week, increasing capacity by around 60 per cent with more A380 flying. | |
| Sydney – New York via Auckland | Flights to increase from three to four per week. | |
| Asia | ||
| Australia to Tokyo | Flights to double, increasing from 14 to 28 per week, offering the choice of four daily flights to Japan from 26 November.· Sydney –Tokyo to increase from daily to double daily.· Melbourne – Tokyo to increase from four per week to daily.· Brisbane – Tokyo to increase from three per week to daily.Services from Melbourne and Brisbane will move to Narita Airport. | |
| Sydney – Shanghai | Flights to commence for the first time in more than three years with daily A330 flights. | |
| Sydney – Hong Kong | Capacity boosted by more than 50 per cent over the peak Australian summer season, with daily flights to be operated by a mix of A380 and A330 aircraft. | |
| Melbourne – Hong Kong | Flights to increase from four per week to daily. | |
| Melbourne – Singapore | Flights to increase from 10 to 14 per week from 31 March 2024. | |
| Sydney – Singapore | Flights to increase from 14 to 15 per week from 31 March 2024. | |
| Melbourne – Delhi | Flights to increase from three to six per week over the peak Australian summer season. | |
| Pacific and Tasman | ||
| Brisbane – Wellington | New route to operate daily with E190 aircraft. | |
| Brisbane – Honiara, Solomon Islands | New route to operate three days per week with E190 aircraft. | |
| Sydney – Christchurch | Flights to increase from 11 to 14 per week. | |
| Sydney – Queenstown | Flights to increase by up to one per week, with up to 14 flights over the peak Australian summer season. | |
