OR Tambo will have a direct flight to Perth again from 1 November, Australian airline Qantas announced on Friday, reconnecting South Africa to Western Australia.
Qantas expects the route to be popular with the large South African expat community in Perth, and those visiting them.
Currently, travelling to Perth requires at least one stop, with a minimum layover of four hours, and total travel times can easily hit a full day.
Qantas says its direct flight will cut travel time by at least six hours, with flight times of between 10 and 11 hours.
The flights are due to start on 1 November, and will run three times a week, Qantas said.
The airline currently has four flights a week between Johannesburg and Sydney, which it says has had “strong bookings” since restarting in January – and will be increasing to daily flights from 30 October.
“There’s a big South African population that lives in Western Australia and this will be great for people travelling in both directions to see family and friends,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce in a statement. “It will also help support the economic ties between Australia and South Africa.”
Return tickets for the Johannesburg to Perth route are now on sale starting at R20,000.
The flights are due to be on an Airbus A330, with 250 seats in total, about a tenth of those in business class.
Qantas has long hinted at desire and even plans to fly between Perth and Johannesburg, with strenuous lobbying from the Western Australia government. The flight is supported by a “Reconnect WA” package aimed at boosting tourism, though the exact details of any subsidy have not been made public.
South African Airways, the only other previous provider of direct flights to Perth, is not expected to be operational on that route for some time, if ever.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/qantas-confirms-a-direct-johannesburg-to-perth-flight-2022-6
