Qantas will add more than 1700 seats per week on services between Melbourne and Tasmania and increase capacity to Canberra beginning later this year, the airline announced today.
The changes, which go into effect from October 29, include an increase from two to three daily flights between Melbourne and Hobart and five extra weekly flights between Adelaide and Canberra.
The increased services will come via QantasLink-operated Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops, which will be introduced on both the Melbourne-Hobart and Adelaide-Canberra routes to complement Boeing 737 services. The two hour Adelaide-Canberra route will be among the longest flown by the carrier’s 78-seat Q400s.
In addition to the extra daily Hobart flight, Qantas will increase capacity to Tasmania by upping weekly Launceston flights from 17 to 28 and upgrading its twice weekly Devonport flights from Q300 to the larger Q400 aircraft, which can carry about 25 more passengers.
Qantas said it would also adjust the schedule of its daily 737 service between Sydney and Hobart, with QF1019 departing at 9:25 am rather than 2:15 pm, and QF1020 departing at 11:55 am rather than 10:40 am.
“These changes will have significant appeal to both business and leisure travellers and will provide access to a wider range of connections across the domestic and international network,” Qantas domestic chief Lyell Strambi said. “Tasmania is a very important market for Qantas and we will continue to monitor customer feedback to support travel within the region.”
Qantas will also upgrade one of its current Melbourne-Canberra services from a Q300 to Q400, adding 336 seats per week.
