Qantas and Jetstar will be launching new direct routes to India and Korea later this year, fueling New South Wales’ post-COVID tourism recovery.
Sydney to Bengaluru
Starting from the 14th of September, Qantas will be operating four weekly return flights from Sydney to Bengaluru, previously known as Bangalore.
With these flights, Qantas will become the first airline to offer non-stop flights between Australia and southern India.
The introduction of these flights will shave nearly three hours off the current quickest travel time from Sydney to Bengaluru.
The city of Bengaluru, a burgeoning technology and financial hub, hosts a population of 13 million people with strong ties to Australia, which are likely to strengthen further given the recent Australia-India free trade agreement.
Qantas will operate four weekly return flights from Sydney to Bengaluru (formerly known as Bangalore) from 14 September, using its widebody Airbus A330 aircraft.
These will be the first non-stop flights between Australia and southern India by any airline and will cut almost three hours off the current fastest travel time from Sydney to Bengaluru, a growing technology and financial services hub.
Meanwhile, Qantas is set to continue offering up to five flights a week between Melbourne and Delhi, positioning itself as the only airline providing direct flights between Australia and both northern and southern India.
New codeshare agreement
In a positive development, Qantas is planning a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier.
This agreement will open up one-stop access to more than 50 Indian cities for Qantas customers.
Qantas Frequent Flyers will also reap the benefits, with the opportunity to earn and redeem points on connecting IndiGo flights.
Additional perks for tiered members will include priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, and priority baggage.
Jetstar customers will also get in on the action, with the ability to book connecting flights on IndiGo services via the Jetstar Connect platform from late April.
South Korea
As for South Korea, both Qantas and Jetstar are set to launch direct flights to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport later this year.
Jetstar is slated to become the only low-cost carrier to fly direct to South Korea from Sydney, with services commencing from the 2nd of November.
Qantas will also return to Seoul with direct flights from Sydney beginning on the 10th of December, marking the first Qantas scheduled service to Seoul since January 2008.
These new direct services reflect the growing popularity of South Korea as a destination among Australians and the consistent ranking of Australia as a top desired destination for South Korean travellers.
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