Qantas is to operate nonstop flights to Canada for the first time, with six seasonal return services between Sydney and Vancouver planned for January 2015.
The direct flights will be operated by three-class Boeing 747-400 aircraft and will run twice a week between January 3-22, Qantas said on Tuesday. Flight QF75 will leave Sydney on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1450 for an 0945 arrival at Vancouer, while the return QF76 will depart Vancouver at 2345 on Sundays and Thursdays and land in Sydney at 1000 two days later.
Qantas international chief executive Simon Hickey said these extra services were part of the airline’s plan to adapt its flying schedule to cater for demand at different times of the year and comes on top of previously announced seasonal increases to cities such as Tokyo and Honolulu.
“Since July, we’ve scheduled a total of 108 extra flights across the international network to serve the demand in the market,” Hickey said.
“North America is a key market for Qantas and these direct services reinforce our commitment both to this market and to taking advantage of seasonal peaks, including to destinations that aren’t necessarily on our network all-year round.”
Qantas previously operated seasonal services from Sydney to Vancouver via San Francisco in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Currently, Air Canada offers the only direct flights between Australia and Canada, with daily flights between Sydney and Vancouver using Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.
