![QF866 lands at Hamilton Island on Wednesday morning. (Qantas)](http://thewofa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Qantas_140702_1026.jpg)
Qantas began direct Sydney-Hamilton Island flights on Wednesday, its first services to the Queensland resort island in almost a decade.
The airline has launched three times weekly (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) return flights during peak season – July, plus September-January – and twice weekly (Wednesday and Sunday) return flights during offpeak times. The flights, QF866 (SYD-HTI) and QF867 (HTI-SYD), are operated by 737-800s.
“Our customers told us that they wanted direct access to the Whitsundays on a premium leisure service from Sydney. Today we respond to that demand and complement Jetstar’s existing flights as part of our two-brand strategy,” Qantas Domestic CEO Lyell Strambi said.
The new services coincide with the relaunch of the exclusive resort on nearby Hayman Island as One&Only Hayman Island, while last month Qantas low-cost subsidiary Jetstar announced it was suspending direct Brisbane-Hamilton Island flights.
![HamiltonIslandAirport](http://thewofa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/HamiltonIslandAirport.jpg)