Four airlines are set to operate flights between the Middle East and Australia this year. Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Australia will be connecting these regions with up to 24 daily flights by December 2025.
Virgin Australia plans to start flying to Doha in June using Boeing 777-300ERs wet-leased from Qatar Airways. This move is part of Qatar Airways’ strategy to expand its Australian operations by utilizing unused traffic rights. Virgin’s entry into the Middle East market marks its second venture following a previous partnership with Etihad in 2011.
Data from Cirium Diio indicates that from June to December 2025, the four airlines plan an average of 22 daily non-stop departures. Most passengers will connect through the Middle East, with approximately 94% of Qatar Airways passengers transferring elsewhere.
Qatar Airways currently operates a one-stop service on the Doha-Melbourne-Adelaide route but will switch to Doha-Melbourne-Canberra in December. This change signals a return to Canberra for Qatar Airways since ceasing operations there in 2020.
In December, flight frequencies are expected to peak at a record 24 non-stop daily departures, aligning with Australia’s summer and Christmas season. Virgin’s fourth Doha route (Melbourne) will commence alongside Emirates transitioning all services to non-stop routes by ending their Dubai-Melbourne via Singapore flight in March.
Historically, one-stop services were more prevalent; for instance, carriers offered up to 27 daily flights as recently as February 2018. However, now all services are becoming non-stop for improved connectivity.
During the June-December period, six Australian cities will have connections with the Middle East: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The introduction of Virgin’s service will make Melbourne host up to eight daily flights while Sydney sees seven daily departures.
Flight schedules indicate various aircraft types and frequencies across these routes:
– Adelaide: Daily services with Boeing models.
– Brisbane: Double daily A380s.
– Canberra: Service via Melbourne begins in December.
– Melbourne: Multiple carriers offering frequent flights.
– Perth: Daily operations including A380s until late June.
– Sydney: Frequent A380 services throughout the period.
All dates relate specifically to departures from Middle Eastern hubs as detailed by each airline’s schedule updates.
