SINGAPORE, 5 November 2024: Qantas customers can now fly from Brisbane to the Philippines in one hop with the Flying Kangaroo’s nonstop flights to Manila.
The inaugural flight departed Brisbane last Monday (28 October) and will operate four times per week using the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft. Every year, more than 100,000 seats will be added between Australia and the Philippines.
The route adds to Qantas’ existing direct daily services from Sydney to Manila.
The new flight will also improve connectivity for passengers travelling to the Philippines from New Zealand, with easy connections in both directions from Auckland and Christchurch to Manila via Brisbane.
Qantas has a long history of operations in the Philippines, having first touched down with Lancastrian aircraft in 1947 supporting Australian Government military operations, before introducing Super Constellation passenger services in 1950. The first jet flights between Australia and Manila commenced in 1961 with Boeing 707 services flying from Sydney and forgoing the need of a stopover for the first time.
Today, the airline operates over 300,000 seats between Australia and the Philippines every year and will celebrate 75 years of passenger services between the two countries in 2025.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace commented: “The Philippines is a very strong market for Qantas, and we are pleased to respond to demand for our services with new flights from Brisbane.
“We know many customers travel to Manila via Sydney, so this new direct flight will make it easier and faster for Queenslanders to get to the Philippines in a single hop.
“With a fascinating history and culture, a vast archipelago of over 7,000 islands, and hospitality known worldwide, the Philippines is a fantastic destination for Australians who are thinking about their next getaway.”
The launch follows the recent expansion of the airline’s 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 per week to Singapore.
QF97 Brisbane to Manila operates four times weekly, departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursday and Saturdays. Flight time is approximately seven hours and 45 minutes.
Qantas services between Australia and the Philippines are operated by its fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft with 27 business class suites in 1-2-1 configuration, each featuring direct aisle access and converting into a lie-flat bed, and 269 economy seats.
Flight schedule
Flight QF097 departs Brisbane (BNE) at 1915 and arrives in Manila (MNL) at 0100 plus a day.
Flight QF098 departs Manila at 0245 and arrives in Brisbane at 1120.
