
WestJet Adds New Transatlantic 737 Route
Calgary-based WestJet is launching a brand new connection between Halifax in Nova Scotia and Amsterdam. It will be the only…
The airline is expanding its schedule with new A220 routes and the return of more A380s.
A Qantas A380 lands at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Qantas will expand its route map with new Airbus A220 flights and the return of additional A380s in 2025, expecting an increase of 220,000 seats to its international network.
The Australian flag carrier will increase its capacity to the U.S. by 13% next year. With the return of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to the Brisbane – Los Angeles route, passengers have more options of choosing Premium Economy as a result of doubling seat capacity.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Airbus A380 will once again be deployed on flights between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth starting Aug. 11, becoming the second-longest route operated by the superjumbo jet. Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A380s will operate the route on an alternating basis.
At nearly 9,000 miles, Emirates operates the longest A380 flight between Dubai and Auckland. Qantas’ Dallas/Fort Worth-Sydney flight is approximately 8,600 miles.
From Feb. 6, the airline will increase Melbourne to Dallas/Fort Worth flights to a four-times-weekly service. However, Sydney to New York (via Auckland) will reduce from six to five times a week.
Qantas marks 70 years of flying to North America in 2024. Earlier this year, the airline announced new flights between Melbourne and Honolulu starting in 2025.
A Qantas A380 in long-term storage (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
The airline said it expects to add two more A380s to its fleet after being in pandemic-era storage programs.
QantasLink, the regional airline for the Qantas Group, will launch Darwin to Singapore flights with its new Airbus A220 in March. The airline originally launched the route with Embraer E190s, but the A220 could offer 50 additional seats every week.
QantasLink’s first Airbus A220 (Photo: Qantas)
The airline ordered 29 A220 jets in 2022 with the aircraft entering service between Melbourne and Hobart. The A220s are expected to replace the fleet of aging Boeing 717s.
“We’re so excited to be offering our customers more than 220,000 additional seats on our network, a new international destination, and our brand-new A220 aircraft for our Singapore – Darwin flights, which will be the first of its kind to operate out of Singapore,” Cam Wallace, Qantas Group International CEO, said in a news release.
Meanwhile, Qantas will launch brand-new service to Palau, an island country in the western Pacific, in the coming months with Boeing 737 aircraft.
However, the carrier also announced that it will cease service between Sydney and Seoul, South Korea, from mid-June 2025. Jetstar will ramp up its flights on the route from four times a week to a daily service. Qantas explains the decision to withdraw from the Korean capital city can allow its aircraft to be deployed on other routes.
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