Qantas is expanding its international network with the reintroduction of two long-haul routes from Perth to Johannesburg and Auckland, as seen in its latest schedule submission to OAG. Although these routes were not yet available for booking at the time of the release, Aeroroutes suggests this will change soon. The announcement positions Qantas as the second operator for both routes, sharing the routes with South African Airways (SAA) and Air New Zealand, respectively. This expansion follows the exit of Batik Air Malaysia from the Perth-Auckland route in 2024.
Johannesburg and Auckland become part of Qantas’ international offerings from Perth, bringing the total to six nonstop destinations this year, including previously served cities like London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Rome Fiumicino, and Singapore. With Rome being a seasonal destination, five of these markets will be served concurrently.
Starting December 7, Qantas will resume the Perth-Johannesburg service, coinciding with the peak travel season. The route was last operated by Qantas in March 2023. The flight spans 4,495 nautical miles each way, utilizing an A330-200 aircraft. Previously, Qantas was the sole operator of this route until SAA relaunched it in April 2024. The route primarily caters to the South African community in Perth and travelers to New Zealand and other Australian regions.
The Perth-Johannesburg service will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, departing Perth at 13:30 and arriving in Johannesburg at 18:45 local time. The return flight will leave Johannesburg at 21:35 and reach Perth the following day at 13:30.
Qantas will also reinstate its Perth-Auckland route nearly eight years after suspending it. The service spans 2,888 nautical miles, marking it as the longest route between Australia and New Zealand. In 2024, booking data indicated 148,000 passengers traveled between these cities. The Perth-Auckland route will feature three flights weekly, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, departing Perth at 17:00 and arriving in Auckland at 04:45 the next day. The return flight departs Auckland on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 08:30, landing in Perth at 11:30.
Since Batik Air’s termination of the route in July 2024, Air New Zealand was the sole operator, generally providing daily flights and increasing to nine weekly during peak months. Air New Zealand’s service utilizes 342-seat 777-300ERs.
