Qantas Commences Canberra - Perth Services

The first Qantas non-stop service from Perth to Canberra touched down Thursday, with a special celebration at Canberra Airport.

Qantas has launched the new return daily service between the two cities with special Internet fares priced from $207 one way inclusive of taxes, charges and levies.

Qantas Regional General Manager ACT, Andrew Hogg, said the new Boeing 737-400 services would reduce travel times by up to an hour by providing a  direct service.

"Both business and leisure travellers will benefit from the greater convenience of the new service." Mr Hogg said.

"There are excellent opportunities for Canberran and West Australian holiday makers to explore the respective states with the new flights allowing visitors to enjoy more time in each place.

"All customers on these flights will be offered the international meal and beverage service introduced last year on other Qantas trans-continental flights. The two-class aircraft also features an entertainment system offering a variety of visual and audio programs including news, music and movies," he added. 

The addition of the direct flights to Perth brings the total number of destinations serviced directly to and from Canberra to five - Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and now Perth.

The new flights follow a number of investments Qantas has made in Canberra and Perth, including the renovation of Qantas Club Lounges in both airports. The improvements include increased seating capacity and new interiors.

Mr Hogg said these investments and the number and range of direct flights have added further capacity to the growing business and holiday markets of the ACT and Western Australia.