Australian Airlines increases flights to Asia

Australian Airlines has today announced three extra services to its newest leisure destinations – Bali and Sabah in Malaysia.

Flights between Cairns and Hong Kong will also return to pre-SARS levels with three services per week.

The schedule changes will come into effect from 26 October – the eve of Australian Airlines’ first anniversary of flying – and coincide with the delivery of the airline’s fifth Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Andrea Staines said the additions to the schedule were in response to demand.

"Australian Airlines has weathered the difficulties of the past six months and continues to grow as we had planned.

"Since we began flying to Bali in June, holidaymakers have embraced our four weekly flights, with many selling out well in advance," Ms Staines said. "We will be adding a fifth service from Sydney to Bali via Melbourne, giving Victoria its second non-stop Australian Airlines service.

"We are pleased with the popularity of Sabah so we will add a second service from October," she said. "Flights between Singapore and Sabah will also increase to two from December, connecting our UK/Europe and Singaporean customers as well as those from our home base in Cairns who have been able to fly to Sabah via Singapore since 30 July."

Ms Staines said Australian Airlines would also reinstate Cairns-Hong Kong services to pre-SARS levels.

"The Cairns-Hong Kong services were reduced from three to one following the outbreak of SARS," she said. "We increased them to two in June and will return to three from October.

"Our Japan services will also return to their pre-SARS schedule of daily flights to Osaka and three flights per week to Fukuoka. While these are the same frequencies we currently operate, the Fukuoka flights will no longer be ‘triangulated’ with Osaka."