Qantas Revives Direct Flights from Perth to Auckland and Johannesburg

Qantas is once again expanding its international presence from Perth, reintroducing direct flights to Auckland and Johannesburg from December 2025.

These returning routes reconnect Western Australia directly to New Zealand and South Africa, strengthening Perth’s role as Qantas’ western gateway and enhancing its global network.

Bookings for both services are now open, marking a significant boost in Perth’s international connectivity. The reintroduction of these routes will add an additional 155,000 seats annually.

Key flight details:

• Perth to Johannesburg (QF65)
  • Starts: 7 December 2025
  • Frequency: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
  • Departure: 1:30 pm, arriving Johannesburg at 6:45 pm
  • Aircraft: Qantas A330-200 (27 business class lie-flat seats, 224 economy seats)
  • Flight Duration: Approximately 11 hours 15 minutes
• Perth to Auckland (QF111)
  • Starts: 8 December 2025
  • Frequency: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
  • Departure: 7:00 pm, arriving Auckland at 4:45 am next day
  • Aircraft: Qantas A330-200 (27 business class lie-flat seats, 224 economy seats)
  • Flight Duration: Approximately 6 hours 45 minutes

Classic Award Seat Availability:

While the flights are already bookable, frequent flyers looking to redeem Qantas Points may have to wait a bit longer, as no business Classic Award seats have yet appeared on these routes apart from a handful of seats in economy. No doubt, Qantas wants to gauge the initial sales volume before opening up award seats.

The flights' return is supported by Federal Government funding for Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, facilitating increased staffing and upgraded facilities at Perth Airport to handle more international flights. As we all know, the T3 international arrivals section Qantas uses is pretty small and unless you're in business there's bound to be some waiting around to clear immigration.

Cam Wallace, CEO Qantas International, said:

“We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes, unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network. By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network."

Kate Holsgrove, Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer at Perth Airport, added:

“The launch of two new Qantas international services to Perth is great news for Western Australia. Perth is a dynamic, expanding hub with incredible growth opportunities and we remain focused on working with our airline partners to grow aviation connectivity to create more opportunities for Western Australia’s tourism industry and provide more options for Western Australians to travel. Creating additional capacity within Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 will allow Qantas to add or expand their services to Western Australia and is an important interim measure as we build new terminal facilities at Airport Central so Qantas can relocate in 2031.”

Summing Up

The return of these routes provides Perth frequent flyers with more convenient travel options, including an efficient connection to New York via Auckland. Travellers can now bypass Australia's east coast entirely when flying internationally with Qantas, making long-haul journeys quicker and simpler.