Australian flag carrier Qantas is eying new ultra-long-haul destinations in the US and Europe for its next growth phase. While there has been no confirmation on when these routes could start, the carrier’s renewed interest in growing its long-haul network could mean that more such routes could be announced in the near future.

Seattle, Chicago, and Paris in consideration

At a recent investor presentation, Qantas identified new potential destinations for point-to-point travel from Australia. The airline is open to exploring non-stop services to Seattle and Chicago in the US and Paris in Europe.

Qantas already flies non-stop to the US West Coast and also to London Heathrow from Perth. The airline had previously planned to connect Brisbane with Chicago in 2020, but it was scrapped due to the onset of the COVID pandemic.

Qantas Boeing 787
Photo: aiyoshi597 | Shutterstock

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The airline could certainly make good use of its partnership with US carriers to provide its passengers with further connectivity in the country. Qantas’ partnership with American Airlines could help it serve the US regional market through the Chicago flight, and its association with Alaska Airlines could come in handy through the Seattle service. Paris would be a popular addition to further its expansion into Europe on top of its existing flights to London.

Long-haul fleet

Naturally, Qantas would need its longest-range planes to operate on these potential routes. Currently, its Boeing 787-9 aircraft serves its non-stop flight between Perth and London, which lasts for well over 16 hours.

The airline could easily deploy the Dreamliner from Sydney to Seattle, but a Sydney-Chicago flight will likely stretch the 787 to its limits. A Brisbane-Chicago service, as previously planned, is more likely.

A Qantas Airbus A350-1000 parked at the airport.
Photo: Airbus

For Paris, Qantas might come up with a similar service like that to LHR from Perth using its 787, but it might also wait for the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, which would allow it to fly to Europe non-stop from cities like Sydney.

Looking for more overseas operations

In its first Investor Strategy Day presentation since the onset of COVID-19, Qantas was particularly excited about its international business. It aims to match pre-COVID international capacity by early next year, and is hoping for a dramatic rise in revenue from overseas operations.

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The airline will start receiving its Airbus A350-100 aircraft and has significant plans for ultra-long-haul flights to the US East Coast and Europe. Qantas is, in fact, hoping to add AU$400+ million ($260 million) in earnings before interest and tax in the first full year the twelve A350s are in service.

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