After a hiatus of nearly 15 years, Qantas’ first flight between Sydney and Seoul took off from Sydney on Saturday, December 10, 2022. The route will operate four times weekly during peak summer season with and Airbus A330.
On Saturday (December 10, 2022), Qantas announced the launch of new direct service between Sydney and Seoul, South Korea for the first time in nearly 15 years, with flight QF87 departing at 09:35 local time. Flights on the 11-hour route will be operated with an Airbus A330 four times weekly during the peak summer season and then three times per week from May through October. The new service complements Jetstar’s Sydney-Seoul service which started in November with three weekly flights. Combined, the Group now offers over 200,000 seats to Seoul per year, and the option to fly on six days of the week. In Saturday’s announcement, Qantas’ Domestic and International CEO, Andrew David, said,
“What we’ve seen this year is that there is no shortage of Australians wanting to travel overseas again and we know South Korea is at the top of the list for many. Australia has also grown in popularity as a destination for South Korean travellers, so we’re pleased to be welcoming more visitors just in time for them to experience summer in Sydney and beyond. We’ve had a fantastic response from travellers in both directions since tickets first went on sale with strong demand particularly around the upcoming peak school holiday period, which is terrific for Australia’s tourism and small business operators. The combination of Qantas and Jetstar means we can provide business, premium leisure and low-cost travel options to a destination that caters to different budgets, with good connections for those travelling to and from other parts of Australia. We’d like to thank the New South Wales Government for its support and collaboration on the launch of this new route.”
Also commenting on the new Sydney-Seoul service, NSW’s Minister for Tourism, Ben Franklin, added,
“We’re thrilled that the NSW Government’s Aviation Attraction fund has created this opportunity to bring more people from Seoul to Sydney, providing a boost for our tourism operators. In the year ended December 2019, NSW welcomed approximately 196,200 visitors from South Korea, accounting for $558 million in visitor expenditure and putting it in our top five markets.”
Since the reopening of borders following the global COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has resumed or launched service to 28 international airports, including eight routes that weren’t part of the carrier’s pre-pandemic network such as South Korea, Italy and India. In celebration of the new service to Seoul, Qantas has also introduced a number of Korean-inspired menu items such as Beef Bulgogi, Vegetarian Bibimbap and Banchan.