Flying kangaroo hops to Sunshine Coast

Qantas will recommence direct flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast following the announcement of the border opening between Queensland and Victoria.

From 17 December, the flying kangaroo will operate a daily service with passengers arriving on the Sunshine Coast at lunchtime.

The seasonal service will run to 31 January 2021 and will be the first time in three years that Qantas has flown on the route. The flights will be operated by a two-class Boeing 717 aircraft, offering more than 1500 seats each week. The airline will look to extend the service if there is strong demand. 

Qantas will also restart flights from Sydney to Maroochydore on 1 December with five services a week, increasing to daily flights from 18 December. Jetstar will also recommence services to Maroochydore operating up 44 flights a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Qantas also last week launched a new route between Sunshine Coast and Canberra, operating three times per week – the first time Qantas landed in the Sunshine Coast since March. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has introduced a number of initiatives to help customers to book with greater flexibility, including allowing a flight to be moved free of charge, as well as introducing additional health and safety measures through its Fly Well program.