Qantas has announced a series of changes to its Asia network, including the introduction of a new Brisbane-Manila route starting October 28, 2024. This development marks the airline’s first service between Brisbane and the Philippine capital in over a decade.
The new Brisbane-Manila flights will operate four times a week using Airbus A330 aircraft. This route expansion aims to cater to the growing demand for travel between Australia and the Philippines, adding more than 100,000 seats annually.
With this move, Qantas will be directly competing with Philippine Airlines, which currently operates a thrice-weekly schedule on the same route.
| Flight No. | Route | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QF-97 | Brisbane-Manila | 1915H | 0100H +1 | Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| QF-98 | Manila-Brisbane | 0245H | 1220H | Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday |
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace commented on the adjustments, stating, “We’re always looking to ensure that we have the right aircraft, on the right routes and at the right time of year to best meet the needs of our customers.”
Qantas will suspend its Sydney-Shanghai flights from July 28, 2024, citing lower-than-expected demand on the route since its resumption post-COVID.
“That’s why we’ve decided to suspend this route and boost flying to other popular destinations with a new route from Brisbane to Manila and additional flights to Singapore and Bengaluru,” he said.
Wallace acknowledged that the demand for travel between Australia and China has not recovered as strongly as anticipated, with some months seeing flights operating at around half capacity.
Customers booked on Shanghai flights from July 28 onwards will be contacted and offered a full refund or the option to rebook on alternative flights, including connections via Hong Kong.
“We’ll continue to maintain a presence in China through our partners and our existing flights to Hong Kong and look to return to Shanghai in the future,” the airline executive said.
In addition to the new Manila service, Qantas will increase its frequency to other Asian destinations. Flights from Sydney to Singapore will rise from 14 to 17 return services per week from December 11, 2024, while Brisbane-Singapore flights will increase from seven to nine return services per week from October 27, 2024.
Furthermore, the airline will boost its Sydney-Bengaluru service from five to seven weekly flights during the peak holiday season between mid-December 2024 and late March 2025, adding over 12,000 seats on the route.
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