Published: 11 July 2024
Perth city skyline with Matagarup Bridge
The long-awaited non-stop flight between Paris and Perth has touched down, marking the third direct aviation connection from Continental Europe and the UK directly to Western Australia.
Supported by Tourism WA, the near 17-hour flight will operate four days per week throughout the European summer and the Paris Olympics on Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Services will continue year-round, continuing three times per week from mid-August 2024.
The Qantas flight is the second non-stop connection between Continental Europe and Perth, alongside Qantas’ existing service between Rome and Perth.
The new route elevates WA’s status as the Western Gateway to Australia, with Perth still the only city in Australia providing non-stop aviation connections with Continental Europe and the United Kingdom.
The route will also provide seamless connections with more than 70 destinations across the region, including Athens, Barcelona, and Frankfurt, boosting tourism opportunities from across the continent.
In year end March 2024 Western Australia welcomed 22,000 visitors from France and an additional 86,000 travellers arrived from the rest of mainland Europe, with a combined total expenditure of $345 million that year.
Tourism WA has now secured or re-launched direct flights from 20 international destinations since borders re-opened, through its $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund.
Other new connections include securing the resumption of non-stop services from Ghuangzhou in China, Japan and Johannesburg.