Qantas is making several adjustments to its Asia network, including suspending the Sydney-Shanghai route, increasing flight frequencies to Singapore and Bangalore, and introducing a new Brisbane-Manila route. The Sydney-Shanghai service, which operates five times a week, was reinstated last October following a pandemic-induced hiatus. However, due to lower-than-expected demand, Qantas will suspend this service starting July 28.
By J Prakash
Cam Wallace, Qantas International's chief executive, noted, "In some months, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating around half full." This route is Qantas' sole direct connection to mainland China, but Wallace emphasized that the airline will maintain its presence in China through partnerships and flights to Hong Kong, with the possibility of resuming the Shanghai service in the future.
Currently, China Eastern Airlines is the only other airline offering flights between Sydney and Shanghai, with 11 weekly flights using Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350-900s. The two airlines had a joint venture which ended in late 2023 following a decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to deny its extension.
Starting October 28, Qantas will launch four weekly flights between Brisbane and Manila using Airbus A330s, marking the first service on this route in over a decade. This new route complements Qantas' existing daily service from Sydney, adding over 100,000 seats annually between Australia and the Philippines.
Additionally, Qantas plans to boost its Singapore flights by approximately 10%. Flights from Sydney to Singapore will increase from 14 to 17 return flights per week beginning December 11. Brisbane-Singapore flights will rise from seven to nine return flights per week starting October 27, and the Sydney-Bangalore route will expand from five weekly flights to daily services between mid-December 2024 and late March 2025.
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