A new daily Qantas service between Brisbane and Wellington started on Saturday, October 28, making Qantas Wellington’s largest international airline by total seats and number of return flights operated – well ahead of any other airline.
The service is scheduled to arrive in Wellington at 3:25pm each day and depart at 4:25pm, timed to match Wellington with connecting flights to numerous international destinations and holiday spots in North Queensland.
“For travellers this means improved choice, competition and connections,” says Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke.
“International connectivity is more important than ever as New Zealand works to get the economy back up to full speed.
“Qantas is doing a great job to connect Wellingtonians and we can’t wait to see local travellers and international visitors getting on board at Wellington Airport this summer and beyond.”
WellingtonNZ chief executive John Allen says the new route will make it easier for more Australians to visit the city and explore the region.
“Wellington offers a great urban getaway destination – in just a few hours Australians can be enjoying everything this vibrant, exciting city has to offer from our glorious waterfront to our bustling bar and restaurant scene. And just a short distance away are the Wairarapa wineries and the stunning coastline of Kāpiti.
“It’s also a win for connecting friends and family on both sides of the Tasman and will provide a boost to businesses in the city.”
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace says Qantas was pleased to offer more choice for Kiwi holidaymakers and business travellers.
“The launch of daily Qantas flights to Brisbane provides a new opportunity for Wellingtonians to explore Queensland, and just in time for the peak summer.
“It’s also good news for tourism in New Zealand, helping drive more visitors to Wellington from Brisbane and beyond Australia, with great connections across Qantas’ extensive domestic network,” says Cam.
“New Zealand is an incredibly important part of the Qantas Group network. We’ve been flying across the Tasman for more than 50 years and with more than 200 return flights available between Qantas and Jetstar each week, we’re offering more seats for Kiwi travellers than we did before COVID.”
From November Qantas will be operating 28 return flights across the Tasman from Wellington per week, totalling more than 450,000 international seats per annum – up 23 per cent from their pre-COVID number.
This will see Qantas flying travellers from Wellington non-stop to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and then connecting onto their global network.
Qantas’ low-cost cousin Jetstar has also fully recovered their international capacity and will be flying 20 per cent more capacity over the peak summer period between Wellington and the Gold Coast.
Qantas will be operating a E-190 aircraft for the Wellington service which is the first time this aircraft has been used on a trans-tasman route.
