Australian oneworld member Qantas is making a series of upgrades to its Asian network with schedule changes and the launch of a new route.
Starting July 28, 2024, flights to Shanghai will be suspended due to low demand.
Qantas resumed its Sydney-Shanghai service in October last year after being suspended during the pandemic, however demand has not recovered as expected, the airline says.
Qantas will continue to closely monitor the Australia-China market and will look to return to Shanghai when demand has recovered.
Customers can continue to travel to Shanghai and other destinations in China on Qantas flights to Hong Kong with subsequent connections on partner airlines, including Cathay Pacific.
Customers who have booked flights to Shanghai on or after 28 July will be contacted and offered a full refund, or can contact Qantas or their travel agent to discuss rebooking on alternative flights.
Planes previously used on the Shanghai route will be rerouted to boost flights to other destinations in Asia where there is growing demand or new tourism opportunities, Qantas says.
From 28 October 2024, Qantas will resume Brisbane-Manila, operating four days a week with Airbus A330-200 aircraft and marking the first time the airline has flown between the two cities in more than 10 years.
The flights add to Qantas' existing daily service from Sydney and will add more than 100,000 seats between Australia and the Philippines each year.
With the upcoming winter schedule, Qantas will also increase flights to Singapore by around 10 per cent, offering more than 2,500 additional seats per week between Australia and Lion City.
Sydney to Singapore will increase from 14 to 17 return flights per week from December 11, 2024, while Brisbane to Singapore will increase from seven to nine flights per week from October 27, 2024, scheduled to improve Connectivity with Qantas daily service from Singapore to London.
Additionally, flights from Sydney to Bengaluru in India will also increase from five per week to daily to cater to strong demand during the peak holiday season. The additional flights will operate between mid-December 2024 and the end of March 2025, adding more than 12,000 seats between the two cities over the four-month period.
“We are always looking to ensure we have the right aircraft, on the right routes and at the right time of year to best meet the needs of our customers,” said Cam Wallace, chief executive of Qantas International.
“Since COVID, travel demand between Australia and China has not recovered as strongly as expected. For a few months now, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating at approximately half capacity.
“That is why we have decided to suspend this route and boost flights to other popular destinations with a new route from Brisbane to Manila and additional flights to Singapore and Bengaluru. This will create more options for our corporate and leisure customers and make it even easier for them to access the places they need to travel to in Asia.
“We will continue to maintain a presence in China through our partners and our existing flights to Hong Kong and hope to return to Shanghai in the future,” Wallace said.
qantas.com
