The new route is expected to increase travel flows between Southern Africa and Australasia while creating fresh tourism and economic opportunities.
Australian national airline Qantas has launched a direct service from Johannesburg to Perth in Western Australia, hoping to take advantage of the large South African expatriate community in that city who want to holiday in SA or visit family and friends.
It will also provide an additional route for Australians to visit SA, boosting tourism numbers. The service expands the airline’s regular OR Tambo International to Sydney direct flight.
New route expands passenger capacity
The Perth direct route will add almost 80 000 seats a year to Qantas’ current passenger capacity on both routes of 212 000.
Qantas will operate the new service using Airbus A330s and it promises onward connections from Perth to cities in Australia and New Zealand via another new Qantas direct flight to Auckland.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest census shows there are almost 45 000 people living in Western Australia who were born in SA, ranking SA as the fourth-most common country of birth for Western Australians, after England, New Zealand and India.
There are an estimated 250 000 South African expatriates living in Australia and New Zealand.
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Travel time and tourism benefits highlighted
Wallace said the new route reduces travel time to just nine hours and 55 minutes from Perth to Johannesburg.
Western Australia Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said at a launch function in Johannesburg yesterday that the new flights would support the state’s aviation industry and supercharge Western Australia’s visitor economy, local jobs and local business growth.
South African Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille said the new route demonstrates what is possible when governments and industries work together.
“We’ve seen a growth of over 50% from New Zealand, so this direct flight from Perth to Johannesburg was born out of a demand for more travel,” she said.
“The more flights we get, the more seats we get and the more people in the seats we get helps us grow our tourism numbers.”
Competition expected to benefit travellers
De Lille said there would now be competition between Qantas and SAA that would drive down prices.
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De Lille said for leisure travellers, this flight opens up South Africa’s full range of offerings, from bush to beach, from culture to cuisine and from adventure to relaxation, across all nine provinces.
“As we prepare for Meetings Africa 2026 in February and Africa’s Travel Indaba in May, this route creates an easier, faster and more attractive pathway for delegates, exhibitors and buyers from Australia and New Zealand.”
Growing demand from Australia and New Zealand markets
SA Tourism chief operating officer Darryl Erasmus said in the past 10 months, compared to last year, there was about 25% growth in tourist arrivals from the Australian and New Zealand region, which was supported by aircraft that fly out of Johannesburg to Perth.
“We are really excited about this new route because it will help the tourism industry to grow faster,” Erasmus said.
“There’s really solid growth and we have a lot in common with sport being a key driver, followed by visiting family and friends.
“We are both countries in the southern hemisphere and similar in many respects, but key to SA is wildlife and the beauty, cuisine and wine. What’s really exciting is to see recurring visits are climbing,” he added.
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