Qantas has announced that its flights between Perth and Johannesburg will resume on December 7.
QF65 will depart Perth on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 13h30 and arrive in Johannesburg at 18h45 the same day.
On the same days, QF66 will depart Johannesburg at 21h35 and arrive in Perth at 13h30 the following day.
Booking for these flights is now open.
“The opportunity now exists to take more South Africans to Australia, with a direct flight proposition, as well as bring Australians to South Africa. It does support the demand on the route given the fact that Australia has so many South African expats in the region (around 200 000) and it opens up more opportunities for visiting friends and family, plus for corporate and leisure travel,” said Michi Messner, Qantas Regional Manager Africa.
Some great news for South Africans wanting to get to New Zealand is that the airline is also to launch services between Perth and Auckland from December 8. These will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Messner explained how these Auckland flights will be a boon to New Zealand-bound South Africans. She said that with the Johannesburg - Perth flight arriving at Terminal 3&4, Auckland-bound passengers can connect straight to the Auckland flight without having to transit and without having to obtain a transit visa. “There’s no transit visa requirement. It’s actually a plus, because a many other airlines fly into Terminal 1,” said Messner. (Passengers transferring from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3&4 may be required to obtain a transit visa.)
Both of these routes will operate using an A330 with 27 business-class and 224 economy-class seats.
Fares are available now on Qantas.com but flight schedules may be subject to change depending on government and regulatory approvals.