Sydney, March 27, 2026, 08:01 AEDT. 1
- Flights between Perth and Rome are moving to a daily schedule, up from the previous four returns each week. Over on the Paris route, Qantas will bump service to five weekly departures from Sydney through Singapore. 2
- Qantas is pulling Boeing 787s off U.S. routes and reallocating some Airbus A330s away from domestic flights to cover the Europe adjustments. 3
- Analysts aren’t betting on lower fares from the added seats, pointing to persistent fuel prices and ongoing Gulf-related disruptions. 2
Qantas Airways plans to boost its services to Rome and Paris, while also increasing Perth-Singapore flights, responding to a shift in demand as travelers look to bypass Middle East routes amid ongoing Gulf hub disruptions. The airline said these changes start rolling out from mid-April. 3
The shift carries weight right now, as Dubai, Doha, and other key hubs in the region are still dealing with heavy pressure. That’s pushing both airlines and travelers to find new routes, even though appetite for Europe hasn’t let up. Qantas reported its European flights ran at more than 90% capacity in March—roughly 15 points higher than the seasonal usual—as a bigger chunk of passengers opted for connections through the U.S., Asian cities, or Johannesburg. 3
Flights linking Perth and Rome are set to go daily, up from the current four weekly returns. Paris sees a bump too—five return services now instead of three, and those flights will leave Sydney, not Perth, routing through Singapore. That tweak means roughly 60 more seats per flight. Elsewhere, Perth-Singapore frequency jumps to 10 services a week, compared to seven before. 2
Qantas said travelers hit by the schedule shakeup will get a new flight within a day of their original booking or can opt for a refund. The airline added it’s keeping an eye on fuel supply, fuel costs, and demand, and left the door open to more adjustments if things change. 3
To fund the extra Europe flights, some Boeing 787s will leave the U.S. network, while a number of Airbus A330s move from domestic to international routes. Qantas, The Australian noted, has swapped out some domestic A330 trips for smaller Boeing 737s in an effort to trim fuel costs. 3
Justin Wastnage, aviation expert at Griffith Institute for Tourism, told ABC that up to 30% of Australia-Europe capacity has been cut. “This is a premium service, and it’s operating in a constrained market,” he said. Wastnage added that Qantas was redeploying jets to routes with the most demand. 2
Qantas isn’t the only carrier adjusting routes. Cathay Pacific has ramped up flights to London, Paris, and Zurich. Singapore Airlines, for its part, has kept Dubai off the map but introduced new Singapore-London Gatwick and Singapore-Melbourne services—all moves to sidestep the Gulf turmoil. 4
Cheaper fares probably aren’t coming. Wastnage pointed out that even with Qantas offering more seats, ticket prices likely won’t drop. Earlier this month, Reuters noted Qantas had raised international fares as jet fuel costs jumped; Air New Zealand and SAS hiked prices too. 2
For Qantas, the very conflict that’s fueling demand for Europe trips is also ratcheting up expenses and forcing more circuitous routes. The airline said it will continue tweaking its schedule as the situation evolves. Right now, its Perth-London service is making a fuel stop in Singapore due to the altered flight path, although the London-to-Perth leg is still running nonstop. 5
Right now, the shakeup is pushing the classic kangaroo route—linking Australia and Europe—onto a new path. Wastnage pointed out that the switch might boost the standing of Perth, maybe even Darwin, as stopover cities. “We’ve seen the kangaroo route evolve before, and this may be another shift,” he said. 2
