Qantas has announced it is launching a second international route from Darwin, with direct flights from the Northern Territory to Singapore.

Commencing in December, the new Qantas flights will add more than 60,000 seats on the route each year and provide visitors to Australia with a convenient gateway to access to some iconic Top End experiences.  

The flights will provide Territorians with a direct Qantas option to Singapore and also a seamless connection to London on QF1, as well as other destinations across Europe or Asia with partner airlines. Qantas customers travelling from Darwin will save around five hours in flying time by no longer having to fly via other Australian capital cities to get to London. 

From 9 December 2024, flights will initially operate five days per week with the dual-class Embraer E190 aircraft, increasing to daily from March 2025.* The new route has been made possible by the establishment of the E190 base at Darwin Airport, with the size, range and economics of the aircraft opening up routes that that wouldn’t be viable with larger aircraft, including the launch of international flights to Dili in 2022.  

Qantas has a long history of flying between Darwin and Singapore, with Darwin being the final Australia stop-over on the original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London in 1935. In those days, the flight from Darwin to Singapore took five stops and four and a half days versus a four hours and 45 minutes flight on the new direct service. 

More recently, Qantas last operated direct flights between Darwin and Singapore in 2006. 

Eligible customers and Frequent Flyers will have access to the Qantas Club in Darwin prior to clearing immigration and security. On their return, eligible customers will have access to the Qantas International First or Business Lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport.  

Fares start from $690 return and are available from today, refer to your Technology Partner or GDS for more information. 

The Qantas Group operates 18 routes from Darwin, Alice Springs and Uluru, and non-stop options from Darwin to eight domestic destinations.