Earlier this year, it was announced that Qantas International would start operating seasonal flights between Sydney and Osaka, Japan. Initial interest in the route has been so high that it has now been revealed these routes will run all year round from December 14th 2017.
Australia's flagship airline will be putting on direct flights between Sydney Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport three times a week (Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to begin with), providing the only direct air link connecting the two major cities. From March 26th 2018, the Thursday service will move to a Wednesday.
Upgraded two-class Airbus A330 aircraft will serve the route, which the airline hopes will help to strengthen connections and relationships between Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Gareth Evans, chief executive officer of Qantas International, commented: "We are really pleased to be able to extend the service year-round to support the strong growth in travel between the two countries.
"The service also provides additional freight opportunities into Japan in support of the successful Free Trade Agreement that has been in place since 2015, and reflects Qantas' strategy to develop a flexible network that meets customer and trade demand."
Expanding the Sydney-Osaka route to a year-round option means that business investors and tourists alike will have more choice than ever before when travelling to Japan from down under and vice versa.
The new passenger flight path joins popular existing Qantas routes between the two nations, including the Sydney Airport to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, as well as flights from both Melbourne and Brisbane to Tokyo's Narita Airport.
Meanwhile, Jetstar operates flights between Cairns and Osaka and also has routes that run between Cairns and the Gold Coast and Narita Airport.
What's more, the latest route addition means that more than half of Qantas International's capacity is now directed towards the Asian market, reflecting the importance of links between Australia and New Zealand with the wider Asia-Pacific region.
