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A French Connection: Qantas Launches Direct Flights to Paris Ahead of 2024 Summer Olympics
Written by Siri Smith
From Down Under to the Eiffel Tower: Qantas launches the world’s longest direct flight to France, just in time for the Olympics.
Qantas’ new 17-hour direct flight between Perth and Paris took off Monday, marking the first time in two decades that Australia’s favourite airline has operated services to the City of Lights.
The route slashes approximately three hours off the fastest current travel time between the cities, making it the longest non-stop flight to France from anywhere in the world. Initially, flights will operate four times per week during the busy European summer and the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, before reducing to three services per week from mid-August.
This new connection is set to add 75,000 seats annually between Australia and Europe.
Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group, highlighted the growing demand for direct long-haul flights.
“There is a lot of excitement among our customers and crew that Qantas is returning to Paris with a non-stop flight from Perth,” she said. “In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long-haul routes and avoid stopovers wherever possible.”
Western Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, Rita Saffioti, echoed the sentiment, emphasising the strategic importance of direct flights in boosting tourism.
“With seamless connections from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other major cities, Perth will be the gateway to Paris for Australia,” she said. “We know that people are more likely to travel to places they can easily access, so this is another big win for tourism in Western Australia.”
Discover Paris
The new service will be operated on Qantas’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, an aircraft specifically designed for long-haul travel, featuring large windows, high cabin humidity and mood lighting. Passengers can also enjoy a selection of movies celebrating French cinema, with popular films set in Paris, such as “Amélie” and “Midnight in Paris,” available throughout July.
The route joins existing non-stop Qantas flights from Perth to London and Rome.
Supplied image: Qantas.
