Qantas has announced back-to-back route launches from Perth that will see the Western Australian capital directly connected to Johannesburg on 7 December 2025 and Auckland on 8 December 2025. The new services—operated three times per week with Airbus A330 aircraft—add more than 155,000 international seats a year and consolidate Perth’s position as Australia’s western gateway.
The twin launches became possible after the federal government earmarked additional funding to the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for extra officers, biometric equipment and expanded secondary-inspection areas at Perth Airport. Airport management says the investment lifts the terminal’s hourly processing capacity by 25 per cent, reducing peak-time queues that previously deterred airlines from adding services.
![Perth gains two new Qantas long-haul links as border agencies boost capacity]()
For business travellers, the Johannesburg route shaves at least four hours off existing itineraries that require a stop in Sydney, Melbourne or Doha, while the Auckland flight restores a trans-Tasman option dropped during the pandemic and timed for same-day onward connections to the Americas. WA’s resources companies, many of which have operations in South Africa, welcomed the “boardroom-to-mine-site” convenience.
Tourism WA projects an annual economic injection of AUD 120 million, citing strong two-way leisure demand. Inbound tour operators are already packaging ‘dual-continent’ itineraries, combining Western Australia’s wine regions with South African game reserves.
Qantas says forward bookings have tracked 15 per cent ahead of comparable launches, attributing the interest to pent-up demand and the airline’s decision to schedule red-eye departures that maximise daylight arrivals. Travel-management companies advise corporate clients to re-visit travel-policy airfares, noting that the nonstop services carry a modest premium over one-stop competitors but promise productivity gains.
The twin launches became possible after the federal government earmarked additional funding to the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for extra officers, biometric equipment and expanded secondary-inspection areas at Perth Airport. Airport management says the investment lifts the terminal’s hourly processing capacity by 25 per cent, reducing peak-time queues that previously deterred airlines from adding services.
For business travellers, the Johannesburg route shaves at least four hours off existing itineraries that require a stop in Sydney, Melbourne or Doha, while the Auckland flight restores a trans-Tasman option dropped during the pandemic and timed for same-day onward connections to the Americas. WA’s resources companies, many of which have operations in South Africa, welcomed the “boardroom-to-mine-site” convenience.
Tourism WA projects an annual economic injection of AUD 120 million, citing strong two-way leisure demand. Inbound tour operators are already packaging ‘dual-continent’ itineraries, combining Western Australia’s wine regions with South African game reserves.
Qantas says forward bookings have tracked 15 per cent ahead of comparable launches, attributing the interest to pent-up demand and the airline’s decision to schedule red-eye departures that maximise daylight arrivals. Travel-management companies advise corporate clients to re-visit travel-policy airfares, noting that the nonstop services carry a modest premium over one-stop competitors but promise productivity gains.
