Qantas is launching new Dreamliner flights across the Tasman Islands, cutting New York connections

From February, the international network will be expanded by around 220,000 seats within 12 months compared to the current schedule.

This is made possible by the launch of the new Brisbane – Palau route, the return of two Airbus A380s following maintenance and cabin modifications, and the arrival of additional next-generation A220 aircraft for QantasLink.

The changes will see Qantas increase capacity to the US by 13% and offer customers 30% more premium seats on long-haul flights, with more A380s returning to the network from August next year.

QantasLink’s new A220 aircraft will make its debut on the international network when the airline begins flying between Darwin and Singapore in March.

The larger 137-seat A220 was originally planned to launch with the Embraer E190 and run five times a week, offering more than 70,000 seats annually.

With almost twice the range of the 717, the A220 can fly between any two points in Australia, opening up opportunities for new short-haul international routes such as Darwin-Singapore. The aircraft is currently in use on domestic and regional routes.

Qantas Group International CEO Cam Wallace said as part of a fleet renewal program, these changes were about having the right aircraft on the right route and responding to growing customer demand.

“One of the benefits of our dual brand strategy is the flexibility we have with our combined Qantas and Jetstar fleets,” the former Air NZ executive said.

“Qantas launched flights to Seoul following the pandemic and now that demand has normalized it has grown significantly as a leisure market, creating a great opportunity for Jetstar to increase its frequencies and allow Qantas to move its aircraft to other routes “We’re seeing strong demand.”

Grant Bradley has worked at the Herald since 1993. He is deputy editor of the Business Herald and covers aviation and tourism