- SUMMARY
- Qantas has announced a slew of changes in its Asian network.
- Frequency will be increased on routes to Bengaluru and Singapore.
- One destination will be halted, and one more route to Manila has been added.
Australian flag carrier, Qantas has introduced some changes to its Asian network expected to go live in the upcoming Winter schedule. In the final quarter of 2024, the airline will increase frequency on three of its most prominent Asian routes.
In this article, let us take a detailed look at all the upcoming changes in the Asian network of Qantas Airways.
Qantas: Sydney to Bengaluru Route Goes Daily
India is one of the biggest foreign markets for Qantas Airways. It is one of the two operators serving flights between India and Australia. The other one is Air India. The Aussie flag carrier operates on two Indian routes.
- Melbourne to Delhi
- Sydney to Bengaluru
Qantas started the Sydney to Bengaluru route in September 2022, initially operating four times a week. From October 29, 2023, it decided to increase the frequency by introducing one additional weekly flight. Since then, Qantas has been flying five times a week between Bengaluru and Sydney, with flights available on all days except Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But now, the airline has announced a further upgrade. From December 12, 2024, Qantas will be flying daily on this route. It will operate additional flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ensuring that the route is operational around the week. The airline said that this decision has been backed by the strong demand for this flight.
This upgrade means that Qantas will be offering 1,785 one-way weekly seats instead of the current 1,275 seats. Since the inception of the Bengaluru service, Qantas has deployed the Airbus A330-200 on this route. These A330s are configured with 27 Business Class and 228 Economy Class seats. The Bengaluru route will be operated daily only until March-end. Once the summer season kicks in, the airline will again reduce the frequency.
Qantas: Two Singapore Routes Upgraded
Qantas connects Singapore Changi (SIN) to four Australian cities: Brisbane (7X), Melbourne (14X), Perth (7X), and Sydney (14X). The numbers stated above in brackets are weekly frequencies. Two of these four routes are all set to receive an upgrade. From the upcoming Winter schedule, Qantas will offer enhanced flights from Brisbane and Sydney to Singapore.
Brisbane to Singapore: Currently, Qantas operates daily flights on this route utilizing the Airbus A330. From 27 October 2024, it will be operating nine times a week on this route. It will offer two additional flights on Sundays and Fridays. These additional flights will also be operated by Airbus A330s.
Sydney to Singapore: As of now, Qantas is operating twice daily or say 14 weekly flights on this route. It uses a mix of Airbus A380 and A330. From 11 December, the frequency of this route will be increased from 14 to 17 times a week. It will offer additional flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays with Airbus A330s.
Other routes to Melbourne and Perth will continue to operate as usual. The Brisbane to Singapore will also help reduce the travel time to Heathrow by around 4 hours. Qantas offers daily flights between Singapore and London Heathrow.
Other Asian Changes For Qantas
Other than increasing flights to Bengaluru and Singapore, the airline has announced 2 more changes in the Asian market. It has decided to halt the Shanghai route. According to the airline statement, this Chinese route will be no longer operational after 28 July. Qantas has cited low demand as the reason for this suspension.
In October 2023, the airline resumed flights to its only Chinese destination- Shanghai. But demand has not recovered as per the airline’s expectations.
But with a bad news comes a good news. Qantas has announced one more route launch in Asia. Manila in the Philippines will get connected to one more Aussie city. From 28 October, Qantas will be operating four times a week between Manila and Brisbane with the Airbus A330 fleet. It is actually a service resumption after almost a decade. Currently, Qantas connects Sydney to Manila with daily flights.
Conclusion: Qantas Bengaluru & Southeast Asian Upgrades
Qantas, the flag carrier of Australia is all set to enhance the frequency on three Asian routes. It will go daily on the Bengaluru to Sydney route. The other two routes are Brisbane and Sydney to Singapore. Frequencies on these routes will be increased by two and three times a week. Shanghai Pudong services will be halted. Four times a week flights between Manila and Brisbane will start.
What do you think about this Asian expansion of Qantas? Discuss in the comment section.
With Inputs From Qantas Newsroom
Featured Image Credits: Bidgee, CC by SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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