Qantas has announced a major expansion from its base in Perth in Western Australia, with the introduction of two new international routes from the city. Johannesburg in South Africa and Auckland in New Zealand will be added to the carrier’s list of destinations from Perth International Airport (PER) from the end of 2025, with three flights per week to each of the new cities.
The Perth to Johannesburg route will begin on December 7, 2025, and be operated by Qantas’ 16-strong fleet of Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Each of these accommodates 271 passengers in a two-class configuration (28 in business class and 227 in economy class). Flights on the 5,173-mile (8,277km) route will operate as QF65 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 11 hours and 15 minutes.
In terms of flights to Auckland, the service will also be operated by Airbus A330s and will fly as QF111 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays with an approximate flight time of six hours and 45 minutes. The first flight will depart on December 8, 2025.
According to the airline, “These routes unlock more connections for Australians across the airline’s international and domestic network, which now spans more than 100 destinations around the world. The new services also reinforce the growth of Qantas’ western hub, adding over 155,000 seats in and out of Perth each year, creating jobs to support the local Western Australian economy, and boosting inbound tourism to the state. The routes will also enable further international connectivity for New Zealand and South Africa on the Qantas network and its comprehensive global airline partner network.”
The carrier adds that the new services have been made possible by funding allocated from the Federal Government to the Australian Border Force and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to deliver additional border services at airports. The funding will enable Perth Airport to invest in additional staffing, equipment and facilities that increase border and biosecurity capacity and in turn allow the airport to host more international flights.
“We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes, unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network,” said the CEO of Qantas International, Cam Wallace. “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. “These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network,” he added.
“Our new Perth to Auckland route offers a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service, while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink. “We would like to thank Perth Airport, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Australian Border Force for working together to make these new flights possible,” Wallace added.
Perth Airport’s Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove commented, “The launch of two new Qantas international services to Perth is great news for Western Australia. Perth is a dynamic, expanding hub with incredible growth opportunities and we remain focused on working with our airline partners to grow aviation connectivity to create more opportunities for Western Australia’s tourism industry and provide more options for Western Australians to travel.”
“Creating additional capacity within Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 will allow Qantas to add or expand their services to Western Australia and is an important interim measure as we build new terminal facilities at Airport Central so Qantas can relocate in 2031,” she added.
Other international route changes
Alongside the addition of the two new routes from Perth, Qantas has also announced that it will introduce its fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles daily from October 2025. This move significantly increases the number of premium seat availability for Queensland customers with the additional choice of a premium economy cabin on the route for the first time.
As part of the ongoing Oneworld partnership between American Airlines and Qantas, the airlines will together make some seasonal changes to Brisbane and Melbourne flying over the busy Australian summer period (October 2025 to March 2026).
Throughout December 2025 and January 2026, the airlines will collaborate to offer daily 787 Dreamliner services between Brisbane and Los Angeles, with Qantas operating four flights per week and American Airlines operating three flights per week. During the same period, Qantas will increase Boeing 787 flights between Melbourne and Dallas to daily, with its Boeing 787 flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles returning to daily from February 2026.
As part of the Group’s dual-brand strategy, Jetstar will cease flying between Sydney and Honolulu from October 25, 2025, with Qantas picking up the route by operating between 5 to 6 services per week between Sydney and Honolulu, adding to flights already offered by the carrier between Melbourne and the Hawaiian capital.
Lastly, the twelfth and final Qantas A380 will return to the fleet later from long term storage this year to be deployed on the company’s daily flights between Sydney and Dallas-Fort Worth from January 2026.
