Qantas is set to resume international flights from Adelaide with a new seasonal route to Auckland, New Zealand. The service will begin on October 31 and run until May 3, marking the airline's return to international travel from Adelaide after several years. Qantas currently operates around 280 domestic flights per week from Adelaide.
The new route will compete with Air New Zealand, which has long offered year-round service between Adelaide and Auckland. The last time there was competition on this route was when Qatar Airways operated it during the COVID-19 pandemic until September 2023. Jetstar Airways, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, also previously flew this route until 2020.
Qantas plans to operate the route four times a week using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, adding approximately 30,000 seats over the season. In addition to this development, United Airlines recently announced its own seasonal service connecting San Francisco and Adelaide.