Rome non-stops take off

“DIRECT flights are the way of the future,” according to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who has taken the opportunity of the formal QF inaugural from Perth to Rome to highlight strong demand for the carrier’s ultra long-haul routes.

The second ever direct QF Rome flight took off on Sat evening from the WA capital

(TD 24 Jun) carrying Joyce and a plethora of senior politicians and executives including Tourism WA CEO Carolyn Turnbull and WA Premier Mark McGowan, who are conducting a mission in Rome and London to showcase the state to industry partners.

The new seasonal service is supported by the WA Govt for 2022 and 2023 as part of the $195 million Reconnect WA package.

Joyce cited a recent study conducted by the carrier confirming that traveller preference for point-to-point travel is higher than ever post-COVID, with appeal for direct flights from Australia to London increasing from 45% to 59%.

“We expect that will be a permanent shift in the way people want to travel,” he said, confirming that QF’s PER-LHR flights are also heavily booked.

He noted that Qantas had also fast-tracked the return of its A380 fleet, freeing up Boeing 787-9 aircraft to operate new routes such as Perth-Rome and also Melbourne-Dallas.

The non-stop Rome flights are the only direct services between Australia and continental Europe offered by any airline, with

QF also offering “circle fares” allowing pax to fly into Rome and return to Australia via London.

Rome also serves as a “jump off point” to other European destinations with partner carriers, such as Athens, Madrid, Milan and Nice, Joyce noted.