New Route of the Day (12 July 2024): Qantas between Perth and Paris CDG
Qantas inaugurated flights between Perth and Paris CDG on Friday 12 July, marking its return to the French capital after 20 years. The 14,240-kilometre service will initially be maintained 4-weekly with the 787-9 aircraft, departing Perth on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, decreasing to 3-weekly after the Olympic Games from 18 August. The Flying Kangaroo faces no direct competition on the route.
Flight QF33 departs Perth at 19:35 local time, arriving at Paris CDG at 06:55 local time the following morning. The return service, operating as flight QF34, takes off from France’s busiest airport at 09:55 local time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, touching back down in the capital of Western Australia at 08:30 local time the following morning. The flights originate and terminate in Sydney.
What they said
Vanessa Hudson, Group CEO at Qantas, said: “There is a lot of excitement amongst our customers and crew that Qantas is returning to Paris and that it’s a non-stop flight between Perth and Paris. In recent years we have seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long haul routes and avoiding stop overs wherever possible. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome have some of the highest customer satisfaction on our international network. With these new flights, our customers can depart Perth in the evening and arrive in Paris in time to enjoy brunch overlooking the Eiffel Tower.”
Rita Saffioti, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism in the government of Western Australia, added: “We’re really excited to have this flight between Perth and Paris take off, as one of 20 international destinations we now have direct links with. We know that people are more likely to travel to places they’re able to easily access, so this is another big win for tourism in Western Australia. With seamless connections from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other major cities, Perth will be the gateway to Paris for Australia. For French tourists coming to explore the natural wonders around of Australia, Qantas has connections to more than 60 destinations across the country.”
Qantas develops Perth scissor hub
During the peak of S24 Qantas maintains 14-weekly flights from Perth to Europe, including a daily rotation to London LHR, and 3-weekly to Rome FCO, alongside the new Paris CDG service. It forms part of Qantas’ scissor hub operations in Perth, where flights for the long-haul sector originate and terminate in either Sydney or Melbourne.
The new Paris CDG route will add an additional 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year.
Qantas and Perth Airport have reached a 12-year agreement, which will see the airport develop a new passenger terminal for the Australian flag carrier and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, as well as build a new runway. As a result, Qantas and Jetstar plan to add 4.4 million seats to and from Perth annually by the time the new terminal opens in 2031.
The hub will significantly enhance inbound tourism and give Australians more options when travelling to Asia, Africa, India, and Europe.
