New non‑stop flight from Perth to Paris ahead of the Olympics
9:01 AM EDT, July 16, 2024
Just before the Olympic Games in Paris, a new direct flight route from Perth, Australia, to the capital of France was announced and launched in the fall of 2023. Operated by Qantas Airlines, this direct flight takes over 17 hours, making it one of the ten longest flight routes in the world.
The first plane embarked on this long-distance route on Sunday, July 14. After 20 years, direct travel between Australia and France was reinstated. The distance between Perth and Paris airports is 8,860 miles.
One of the longest routes in the world
This new route will shorten the travel time between the two cities by approximately three hours and will be the longest non-stop flight to France from anywhere in the world.
The journey takes approximately 17 hours and 20 minutes, making it the sixth longest air route. Qantas uses Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with 236 seats for this route.
Flights started in July 2024 for a reason—related to the upcoming Olympic Games, which will run from July 26 to August 11. Due to the event, flights will occur four times a week, then three times a week from mid-August.
Direct flights from Australia to Rome and London
Australian airlines fly nonstop to Perth from London Heathrow and Rome and operate the Sydney—Heathrow route with a layover in Singapore. The new route to Paris will provide another 75,000 seats annually between Australia and Europe.
"In recent years we have seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long haul routes and avoiding stop overs wherever possible. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome have some of the highest customer satisfaction on our international network," admits Qantas CEO, Vanessa Hudson.