Qantas announced the launch of its latest international route: direct flights from Darwin International Airport (DRW) in the Northern Territory to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
The flights will commence in December 2024, starting at five days per week and subsequently increasing to daily departures by March 2025. The route will be serviced by Qantas’ fleet of dual-class Embraer E190 aircraft.
The Australian carrier said that the latest route was made possible by the establishment of its E190 base at Darwin Airport. Launched in 2022, the base allowed Qantas to reach destinations that would not have been possible with larger aircraft, like its service from Darwin to Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, or East Timor.
Singapore will be Qantas’ second international connection from Darwin and will also serve as a connection to London on QF1 flight, as well as other destinations in Europe or Asia.
The airline said that its customers traveling from Darwin will save around five hours in flying time to get to London and other Asian or European destinations by skipping flights via other Australian capital cities.
“The direct service is not just great news for Territorians wanting to visit Singapore, but also for those traveling to London, Europe and across Southeast Asia, with connections to popular destinations like Phuket and Kuala Lumpur with our partner airlines, saving hours of travel time,” Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said in a press statement.
Wallace continued: “This new route also allows us to restore the link to the UK which was established when international borders first reopened after the pandemic and we temporarily re-routed our London flight via Darwin with the support of the Northern Territory Government and Darwin Airport.”
The connection between Darwin and Singapore has played a significant role in Qantas’ flying history.
In 1935, the airline launched the Kangaroo route, commercial passenger air routes flown between Australia and the United Kingdom via the Eastern Hemisphere using a De Havilland 86.
Darwin was the final stop in Australia before heading to Singapore and London. In those days, the flight from Darwin to Singapore took five stops and four and a half days, a stark contrast compared to a flight time of four hours and 45 minutes on this latest 2024 route.