Qantas has started a new twice-weekly Boeing 737-800 year-round service between Darwin International Airport and Uluru (Ayers Rock Airport).
Operating on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the new route is the only flight from the Qantas Group that offers a full domestic service, including business class, between Uluru and Darwin/Adelaide.
“The direct flights from Darwin to Uluru will give both locals and international tourists some extra options when planning their visit to the ‘Red Centre’. For many Territorians who have never visited Uluru, this is a great chance for them to tick it off their bucket list,” said NT Airports chief executive officer (CEO), Ian Kew.
Qantas Domestic CEO, Andrew David said: “We’re seeing more demand for travel to Uluru from international and interstate tourists than we have seen in a long time. In the past few years the Qantas Group has added new routes and more flights to Uluru from Brisbane and Sydney, and now from Adelaide and Darwin.
“The direct flights offer a new convenient option from Adelaide and Darwin, saving travellers up to five hours’ time instead of travelling on flights via other cities. We’re committed to working closely with tourism bodies, hotels, tour operators and airports to get behind these routes, continuing to drive demand, not just to Uluru, but across all parts of the Territory.”
Jetstar Asia will also increase its five times weekly service from Singapore to Darwin to daily between 16 April and 22 July.
Qantas is Darwin’s biggest serving carrier, currently (week commencing 3 April) offering nearly 9,000 seats and 51 direct flights weekly from the city, spread across seven domestic destinations (existing services to Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney) thanks to the new Uluru operation.
The Northern Territory capital city airport provides direct services to 18 Australian destinations across 164 weekly flights with five domestic carriers.
