Qatar Airways returns to Canberra in December 2025

[Harrison_133]

Qatar Airways will resume daily services to Canberra in December 2025.

Flights will operate via Melbourne on the Boeing 777.

I assume this will replace the current DOH-MEL-ADL service, and with the VA flight, means QR will offer 3 daily flights between Doha and Melbourne.

Source: https://www.qatarairways.com/press-...-airways-to-resume-daily-flights-to-canberra#

 

[Gold Member]

I know it’s not possible, but a fifth freedom flight MEL-CBR on 777 sounds mighty tempting

 

[tassie6]

Pretty good timing, certainly better than ADL

QR989
CBR Depart 1310, 1h45m stop in MEL (disembark aircraft), arrive DOH 2230
QR988
DOH Depart 0830, 1h45min stop in MEL (disembark aircraft), arrive CBR 0850

 

[tassie6]

Using the same flight numbers as the ADL flights, so almost certainly they are being chopped

 

[kpc]

Using the same flight numbers as the ADL flights, so almost certainly they are being chopped

Fortunately only starting Dec 2025 as I have an award flight Adl-Mel-Doh and beyond end May 2025.

 

[Pug1]

Fortunately only starting Dec 2025 as I have an award flight Adl-Mel-Doh and beyond end May 2025.

I read no later than Dec 25. We are flying Canberra to Spain and return late November 25/early December so I was hoping the Canberra flights would start November or earlier. Do you have any intel?

 

[kpc]

I read no later than Dec 25. We are flying Canberra to Spain and return late November 25/early December so I was hoping the Canberra flights would start November or earlier. Do you have any intel?

https://www.qatarairways.com/press-releases/en-WW/245351-qatar-airways-to-resume-daily-flights-to-canberra?clickref=1100lzTZABjP&app_clickref=1100lzTZABjP&CID=AFALL698370

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways is set to re-launch daily flights to Canberra, the capital city of Australia, driving connectivity and increased competition for the benefit of Canberrans and Australian customers.

The daily flights to Canberra will operate via Melbourne to the airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport, in Doha, which has consistently been voted the World’s Best Airport, as well as offering travellers a world-class stopover experience with seamless connections to more than 170 destinations across the Qatar Airways global network.

The flights, commencing in December 2025, will be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring the airline’s award-winning Q-suite Business Class cabin* and complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi for all passengers

 

[Pug1]

https://www.qatarairways.com/press-releases/en-WW/245351-qatar-airways-to-resume-daily-flights-to-canberra?clickref=1100lzTZABjP&app_clickref=1100lzTZABjP&CID=AFALL698370

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways is set to re-launch daily flights to Canberra, the capital city of Australia, driving connectivity and increased competition for the benefit of Canberrans and Australian customers.

The daily flights to Canberra will operate via Melbourne to the airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport, in Doha, which has consistently been voted the World’s Best Airport, as well as offering travellers a world-class stopover experience with seamless connections to more than 170 destinations across the Qatar Airways global network.

The flights, commencing in December 2025, will be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring the airline’s award-winning Q-suite Business Class cabin* and complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi for all passengers

Will see if we can fly Qatar out of Sydney or Melbourne in November and return into Canberra in December. The Virgin tie should help

 

[doctorstrangelove]

As someone who is moving to Adelaide in 2025 and a frequent redeemer of Avios on QR this is a very frustrating change to hear. It is a big reversal for the City of Churches which already has limited good international options for redemptions (EK on their 777-200LR? - no thanks!). While the flight via MEL on the way back would be terrible, the outbound leg offered a tolerable detour. To truly rub salt in the wounds not only is Adelaide losing its additional QR flight, but every other major Australian city will be gaining another (pending full confirmation of the VA - QR deal). For shame QR!

 

[Saab34]

Trying to keep the pollies happy I guess. Must be a deal before the government or something

 

[jase05]

As someone who is moving to Adelaide in 2025 and a frequent redeemer of Avios on QR this is a very frustrating change to hear. It is a big reversal for the City of Churches which already has limited good international options for redemptions (EK on their 777-200LR? - no thanks!). While the flight via MEL on the way back would be terrible, the outbound leg offered a tolerable detour. To truly rub salt in the wounds not only is Adelaide losing its additional QR flight, but every other major Australian city will be gaining another (pending full confirmation of the VA - QR deal). For shame QR!

Yeah, it is what is is though and the extra flight was always going to end eventually. One flight per day is about our capacity.
Due to the garbage lounge situation I do prefer to fly out of another port anyway but coming home I do like the direct flight in and have had no trouble getting award flights previously so fingers crossed

 

[bussyboy]

Look forward to seeing the 777 at CBR.

 

[bernardblack]

Due to the garbage lounge situation I do prefer to fly out of another port anyway

While this makes sense as a perspective for ADL locals, I don't think CBR is an improvement? ADL at least has the Plaza Premium after passport control, for Amex holders and such. CBR doesn't have any lounge at all in the international departures zone as far as I am aware.

 

[bernardblack]

Pretty good timing, certainly better than ADL

QR989
CBR Depart 1310, 1h45m stop in MEL (disembark aircraft), arrive DOH 2230
QR988
DOH Depart 0830, 1h45min stop in MEL (disembark aircraft), arrive CBR 0850

Yes, these timings are better than ADL. Given that the flight times and time zones are negligibly different, it's not clear why ADL didn't use a similar schedule rather than the terrible overnight MEL stop.

 

[jumpjam]

Great news

 

[Himeno]

it's not clear why ADL didn't use a similar schedule rather than the terrible overnight MEL stop.

It's quite clear. QR started the flight to get an extra flight to MEL above the weekly allowance. They didn't want people to book it to get to ADL.

 

[bernardblack]

Sure, but that's the situation with CBR too. MEL is the intermediate stop in either case and has no curfew. The times departing MEL aren't significantly different in either direction with the change from ADL to CBR. And the standalone MEL rotation is many hours later in the evening so they weren't avoiding a conflict there.

 

[Himeno]

QR doesn't have another non stop flight to CBR. They do to ADL.
They were going to resume the CBR flight in 2022 after stopping the DOH-SYD-CBR flight due to covid. They were a week out from resuming when there was some sort of ground handling issue which lead them to move it to ADL.

The 2nd via MEL flight to ADL is interfering with the loads they want from the non stop flight.

 

[Saab34]

Do they run with a reduced cabin crew on these flights? I mean, pax numbers generally never go above 30.

 

[levelnine]

Fantastic news.