Qantas cuts nonstop Perth–Paris route but increases Europe flights as demand rises
March 27, 2026
Qantas announced earlier this week that it would be increasing its service to Rome and Paris temporarily until the end of July 2026. The carrier also revealed that its nonstop Perth–Paris service will be suspended and rerouted via Singapore.
Qantas argues that this allows it to increase capacity on the route by about 60 passengers per day.
The latest news comes as airlines grapple with the effects of Middle Eastern airspace closure, given the ongoing US-Israel strikes on Iran and retaliatory strikes in the region. Dubai Airport has been hit on several occasions by Iranian drones.
This leaves Rome as Qantas’ only nonstop European route from Perth. Its London service flies via Singapore on the outbound journey, returning nonstop to Perth on the way back.
Qantas increases flights to Europe
| Route | Change to routing | Change to frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Perth-Paris | Perth-Singapore-Paris | 3x weekly to 5x weekly |
| Perth-Rome | None | 4x weekly to daily |
| Perth-Singapore | None | Daily to 10x weekly (to allow for European connections) |
| Perth-London | Perth-Singapore-London (London-Perth maintained for the return journey) | None. |
Qantas will be increasing its long-haul network to Europe this summer as the traditional transit hubs in the Gulf – Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai – remain largely closed. The carrier will add up to 1,400 extra seats to the continent per week.
Its Sydney to Paris flight via Perth will be rerouted via Singapore instead, thus dropping the Western Australian city from its operation to France. Qantas says that this will allow an additional 60 passengers per flight.
Additionally, frequencies will rise from thrice weekly to five times weekly. Relatedly, it will increase flights from Perth to Singapore from daily to 10x weekly so that passengers can better connect to Europe.
Flights to Rome will be increased from four weekly to daily. Its existing services from Perth to London will be maintained via Singapore. It is worth noting that the inbound journey continues to fly nonstop to Perth.
Qantas is ramping up its Europe services this northern summer, adjusting its international schedule from mid-April to meet growing demand and fill gaps left by disruptions in the Middle East.
The carrier says it is sourcing additional Boeing 787 capacity by redeploying planes otherwise used for flights to the United States. Executive Traveller notes this includes Brisbane-Los Angeles. It is also shifting some Airbus A330s from domestic flying to its international routes.
The impact of airspace closures on European and Australasian airlines
The primary traffic flow between Europe and Asia has long been routed via the Gulf. The same is true for flights to Australia (and to a lesser extent, New Zealand), which also mostly require a stopover in Asia.
Last year, more than 50% of passengers in this market travelled through a Middle East hub.
The closure of Middle Eastern airspace has had a profound impact on these traffic flows, which remain important, relatively high-revenue routes for the most part.
Qantas’ latest announcement is a testament to both the geopolitical challenges and the high demand for such connectivity. By temporarily offering additional flights, Qantas is capitalising on last-minute and ostensibly higher-yielding traffic.
It is not the only airline deploying additional East-West capacity. Air Seychelles is making a return to regular flights to Europe, launching a Boeing 787 route to Paris and an 11-hour service to Rome via Hurghada.
SWISS announced recently that it would be adding a second daily service from Zurich to Delhi from 1 April until the end of May to meet rising demand.
Featured image: Cerib / stock.adobe.com
