Taking over 17 hours and with tickets starting at €1,120 for the roundtrip, Qantas Airlines’ new non-stop flight from Perth to Paris will get going just before the 2024 Olympics.
Qantas’ Perth to London Gatwick flight has been going strong since it was introduced in 2018, but soon passengers on the continent will be able to access a route that’s even closer to home.
Starting 12th July 2024, the award-winning carrier will launch an “ultra-long-haul” direct flight from the Australian west coast city of Perth to the Charles de Gaulle Airport just outside of Paris.
OLYMPICS IN MIND
The new connection will thus be available just in time for the many sportsmen and women and their fans heading to the French capital from the other side of the world for the Olympic Games, which are set to begin on 26th July 2024.
“Some of the first customers on these flights will be Australian athletes heading to Paris to compete at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson of the new route.
The Olympics may have been the catalyst, but the airline plans to make this a regular thing, with year-round flights as often as four times per week during peak travel times.
AN EPIC JOURNEY
Taking a massive 17 hours and 20 minutes one way and just over 16 and a half hours the other, the flight path will cover an incredible 14,264 kilometres without stopping.
The flights will be on Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliners, which feature 236 seats: 166 in economy, 28 premium economy and 42 in the business class cabin.
Last summer, Qantas added a seasonal flight from Rome Fiumicino to Perth, but Hudson says, “Paris is the next most-requested destination, so we know the demand for this service will be strong as well.”
When the route begins next year, it will mark the return of Qantas to the Paris airport after nearly 20 years.
MORE SEATS AND CONVENIENCE
In all, the airline’s new route will add over 75,000 more seats to aviation connections between Australia and Europe per year.
Interestingly, the carrier plans on being flexible with returns; the ‘circle fares’ mean that passengers can fly to Paris and return via London or Rome on the same ticket.
Qantas hopes this will entice more Europeans to visit Perth, with the airline’s CEO saying, “We’ll be working with Tourism Western Australia to help make the most of the opportunity to bring tourists here, knowing that direct flights are a big factor in people deciding where to travel.”
Ticket prices start at €1,120 (A$1,899) for a roundtrip and are available now.
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Photo via Qantas