Qantas Perth-London flights hailed as economic boon to WA, will 'open whole new market'
Updated
Western Australia's business and tourism sectors have welcomed the announcement of direct 17-hour flights between Perth and London.
Qantas and Perth Airport reached an agreement for the service to start in March 2018, after the State Government agreed to contribute $14 million towards upgrading the domestic terminal.
Tourism Council chief executive Evan Hall said the route would put Perth on the world map as the gateway to Australia.
"It will open a whole new market of people who are going to come to Perth for the first time," he said.
"It also means we're going to offer one-stop from London through to Broome, through to Exmouth.
"We can offer a terrific service that's going to bring people in off a relatively short journey, compared to going through the east coast of Australia."
Mr Hall said the non-stop service was also a win for Australian travellers.
"Australians love the layover on the way to Europe, be it Singapore or elsewhere. What they can now do is come to Perth and have a great time in Perth and the city, or even visit Western Australia, regional WA, on their way through to London," he said.
However, Mr Hall said it was critical the Government, Qantas and the tourism sector worked together to ensure passengers maximised their time in Perth.
"It's important to build in a stopover, so we're not just getting people flying from London to Sydney transiting through Perth Airport," he said.
"We want them to get out of the airport, travel in Western Australia, spend some time, spend some money.
"It's critical that the tourism industry, including those agents who package up holidays, are working with our hotels in Perth and our resorts in Broome, for example, to put together a really good package."
'Absolutely no downside': CCI
The WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) echoed the Tourism Council, saying the new flight offered big opportunities for the state.
Longest long-haul flights
- Auckland—Dubai: 17 hours, 25 minutes
- Dallas/Fort Worth—Sydney: 16 hours, 55 minutes
- Johannesburg—Atlanta: 16 hours, 50 minutes
- San Francisco—Singapore: 16 hours, 30 minutes
- Abu Dhabi—Los Angeles: 16 hours, 30 minutes
"There is absolutely no downside to this deal. It opens Perth up as an international hub, it provides a growth opportunity for our tourism industry and it will be a lift to our whole economy," CCI chief executive Deidre Willmott said.
"Perth will become a hub for flights from around Australia, and even New Zealand, to go directly through to London."
Ms Wilmott also said the relative proximity of the direct route could encourage businesses to relocate their Australian headquarters to the west.
"That connectivity will certainly allow them to grow their businesses, as well as [giving them] the opportunity to be part of the West Australian business community," she said.
Mr Hall said the route was welcome news for WA's leisure tourism sector, which had suffered from the end of the mining boom.
He said the March 2018 start date for the flights provided adequate time for parties to promote holiday packages in London and Europe.
Topics: air-transport, tourism, travel-and-tourism, perth-6000, wa, united-kingdom, england
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