Qantas announced today that it would introduce new, daily services between Melbourne and Tokyo from 1 July.
Qantas Executive General Manager Sales and Marketing John Borghetti said the new 767-300 services would operate non-stop from Melbourne to Narita four times a week and Melbourne to Narita via Sydney three times a week. All seven services would operate non-stop from Narita to Melbourne on their return.
He said that once traffic levels built up, Qantas planned to move to daily non-stop services in both directions.
"The Japanese market is very important to Qantas and the Australian tourism industry, and the opening of the new runway at Narita Airport in April provides us with the opportunity to increase services in line with demand," Mr Borghetti said.
"Our new services between Tokyo and Melbourne will also provide a significant boost to Victorian tourism."
He said Qantas also offered international flights into Melbourne from London, Singapore, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Los Angeles, Denpasar and Hong Kong, as well connections in Singapore to and from all of the airline's European ports.
Mr Borghetti said the Victorian Government had been supportive of the new services.
"We will work closely with the State Government and with tourism organisations to promote these services in Japan, and to boost tourism opportunities for Victoria in the Japanese market," he said.
"Qantas has a strong presence in Victoria, employing more than 5,000 staff and operating major engineering facilities and one of the airline's three Australian telephone sales centres out of Melbourne.
"We are also a major sponsor of Victorian social, cultural and sporting events, including the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Open Tennis, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne Fashion Festival and Spring Racing Carnival."
The new Melbourne-Tokyo services will operate non-stop each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and via Sydney each Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
From 1 July, Qantas will offer a total of 54 return services between Australia and Japan, including:
* Daily 747 Tokyo-Sydney flights;
* Double daily 767 Tokyo-Cairns services;
* Nine 747 services a week between Nagoya and Osaka and Cairns;
* Three 767 Narita-Perth services per week; and
* 14 weekly codeshare services on Japan Airlines - daily between Narita and Brisbane and daily Osaka-Brisbane-Sydney flights.
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