Western Australia’s capital received an early Christmas present on 6 December with confirmation of several network upgrades that will significantly expand non-stop connectivity out of Perth Airport. Jetstar will launch three-weekly Airbus A321LR services to Manila in the first quarter of 2026, positioning Perth as its only Australian gateway to the Philippines. Malaysia Airlines, meanwhile, will double its daily Kuala Lumpur rotation from late December, restoring frequency to pre-pandemic levels.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Cathay Pacific are each moving to daily and double-daily schedules respectively, providing West-coast corporates with more one-stop options into North Asia and beyond. Completing the burst of capacity, Qantas confirmed that its long-awaited Perth–Johannesburg route will take off on Monday, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners configured with 42 Business and 236 Economy seats.
![Perth scores aviation growth spurt as five airlines boost international links]()
The surge reflects robust resources-sector demand, WA’s successful push to diversify tourism markets and Perth Airport’s incentive programme that discounts landing charges for new long-haul routes. Travel buyers note that fares on the historically pricey Perth–Kuala Lumpur corridor have already fallen 12 per cent in forward GDS searches since the frequency announcement.
For mobility managers the upgrades bring tangible benefits: shorter door-to-site times for mining fly-in fly-out staff connecting to Africa and South-East Asia, broader award-seat availability for expat home leave and reduced reliance on trans-continental hops to Sydney or Melbourne. However, the influx also heightens pressure on Perth’s immigration hall, where SmartGate capacity is already stretched during evening arrival banks. Airport authorities say eight additional e-Gates will be installed by March 2026 to maintain 15-minute processing targets.
The WA Government is hailing the developments as proof that its aviation-routes taskforce—which offers targeted marketing support and co-operative advertising—can lure back carriers lost during the pandemic while attracting entirely new markets.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Cathay Pacific are each moving to daily and double-daily schedules respectively, providing West-coast corporates with more one-stop options into North Asia and beyond. Completing the burst of capacity, Qantas confirmed that its long-awaited Perth–Johannesburg route will take off on Monday, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners configured with 42 Business and 236 Economy seats.
The surge reflects robust resources-sector demand, WA’s successful push to diversify tourism markets and Perth Airport’s incentive programme that discounts landing charges for new long-haul routes. Travel buyers note that fares on the historically pricey Perth–Kuala Lumpur corridor have already fallen 12 per cent in forward GDS searches since the frequency announcement.
For mobility managers the upgrades bring tangible benefits: shorter door-to-site times for mining fly-in fly-out staff connecting to Africa and South-East Asia, broader award-seat availability for expat home leave and reduced reliance on trans-continental hops to Sydney or Melbourne. However, the influx also heightens pressure on Perth’s immigration hall, where SmartGate capacity is already stretched during evening arrival banks. Airport authorities say eight additional e-Gates will be installed by March 2026 to maintain 15-minute processing targets.
The WA Government is hailing the developments as proof that its aviation-routes taskforce—which offers targeted marketing support and co-operative advertising—can lure back carriers lost during the pandemic while attracting entirely new markets.
