8 October 2021
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has today announced an historic deal which secures direct Darwin-London flights with Australian airline Qantas.
The agreement will establish a travel bubble at the Darwin International Airport terminal for passengers travelling from Melbourne and Sydney to London via Darwin.
Territorians will be able to join the flights in Darwin and fly non-stop to London. The flight’s duration will be 17 hours and 20 minutes.
The direct flights are scheduled to start on 14 November and will run until at least April 2022, and the NT Government will continue to work with Qantas around the possibilities of continuing the route into the future.
The Territory has been a national leader in safely repatriating Australians throughout the pandemic and due to the gold standard of the Centre for National Resilience, this exciting proposal has become a reality.
The safety of Territorians remains the utmost priority, and as part of establishing the travel bubble passengers will be required to:
· Show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination;
· Wear a mask throughout their travel, and while in the airport terminal;
· Return a negative PCR test prior to boarding a connecting flight to Darwin; and
· Show no COVID-19 symptoms.
Today’s announcement follows the longest Qantas commercial flight ever touching down in Darwin from Argentina earlier this week.
Quotes from Chief Minister Michael Gunner:
“We are Australia’s comeback capital, and now we’re taking the comeback direct to Europe.
“From Parap to Piccadilly, the opportunities are endless. The convenience of this route will mean tapping into brand new markets for tourism and business.
“It will also open up new opportunities for developing the aviation skills sector here in the Northern Territory.
“I thank Qantas and the Darwin International Airport for working with us to turn this direct route into reality, which will mark a real turning point for the nation as we work towards the next stages of the National Plan.
“The challenge now is to show Qantas that there is no better place to be. We’ve been the best throughout this crisis and we have no doubt Territorians will back in this massive opportunity.”
Quotes from CEO of Qantas Alan Joyce:
“The NT Government have worked closely with us to make these flights happen and I’d like to thank the Chief Minister and his team for finding a solution that is safe and streamlined.
“The Kangaroo route is one of the most iconic on the Qantas international network and we are delighted that Darwin will play a vital role in Australia’s post pandemic reopening to the world.”
“Qantas has been flying repatriation services from London to Darwin as part of the airline’s efforts to help bring Australian’s home over the past 12 months, so our pilots already have extensive experience operating this particular route.”
Quotes from Airport Development Group Acting CEO Tom Ganley:
“We are delighted to support our airline partner Qantas and the NTG in this historic announcement.
From mid-November Territorians will be able to fly directly from Darwin to London in just over 17 hours, a route first flown in 1935 with 29 stops over 9 days.
Darwin International Airport is ready and able to meet the demands of International travel as Australia emerges from the restrictions of covid-19.”
