Pack your bags; there’s a new tropical island locale now available to Aussies with the addition of Tonga to the Qantas network of South Pacific destinations following the recent reopening of the nation’s borders on 1 August 2022.
The 4.5-hour flight between Sydney and Nuku’alofa’s Fua’amotu Airport is the only direct service between Australia and Tonga and will operate weekly on Thursdays, with the first flight taking off on 25 August 2022.
The inclusion of Tonga to the Qantas international network follows the recent commitment of weekly services to Samoa, which reopened to international tourists on 1 August, as the carrier grows its presence in the South Pacific Islands following strong holiday travel demand.
Boosting South Pacific VFR and leisure travel
Qantas said the new route will allow Australian-based South Pacific Islanders to visit family and friends back home and provide holidaymakers with a choice of Pacific neighbours to explore.
“Since the opening of Australia’s border, we have seen strong demand across our Qantas-operated South Pacific services,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
“Fiji is 50 per cent higher than pre-COVID demand, Noumea is 13 per cent higher and flights to Samoa are performing ahead of expectations.
“We anticipate the Tonga services will be well-supported by both Tongan nationals and Australians and we are excited to help strengthen family and community connections as well as boost tourism opportunities to this beautiful Pacific Island kingdom.”
Qantas will initially operate one flight a week with an A330 aircraft between Tonga and Sydney with return flights starting from $866.
To find out more, head to qantas.com
