Qantas begins Brisbane-Manila flights

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPJ (MSN 712)

On the back of American Airlines inaugural Dallas - Brisbane flight on Monday, Qantas inaugurated a new route of its own on. Qantas has launched a Brisbane to Manila flight, promising to add over 100,000 seats annually on this path from the Queensland hub to the capital of the Philippines. The airline will operate flights four times a week using its Airbus A330 aircraft, complementing the existing daily services from Sydney to Manila.

QF97 was due to depart at 19.15 local, but due to severe storms in the area, the flight departed at 21.55.

That in turn pushed the arrival time back from 01.00 to 03.00.

QF98 was due to depart at 02.45 but didn't get airborne until 05.10.

It's scheduled arrival of 12.20 was pushed back to 14.13.

This new development also enhances connectivity for travelers from New Zealand to the Philippines, offering convenient connections from Auckland and Christchurch to Manila via Brisbane.

"The launch of this Qantas service significantly boosts Brisbane Airport's links to Southeast Asia," stated Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaf. He added, "The Philippines, being one of the fastest-growing economies globally and a crucial trading partner for Queensland, coupled with our vibrant Filipino community, ensures that the business and tourism prospects arising from this increased connectivity are poised for success."

The Brisbane-Manila launch follows Qantas’ recent expansion to its international network from Brisbane, with new flights to Palau, as well as an upgrade of some of its Auckland and Los Angeles services to the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The national carrier also recently commenced services from Brisbane to Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila and has added an extra two flights a week to Singapore.