Qantas will become the first airline in the world to operate a non-stop route between Australia and Las Vegas on 29 December. The new seasonal Sydney–Las Vegas service will run through to March 2027 and will save customers up to five hours in travel time by eliminating the need for connections through another US city.
The new route will operate on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The flight time is about 13 hours and 55 minutes.
This becomes the 101st destination on the Qantas network and the airline’s eighth city across North and South America, joining Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Dallas, New York, Vancouver, and Santiago.
Service will cover global events
The service will operate during some of the city’s biggest global events and expos including the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest and most influential tech show, and as Vegas plays host to the National Rugby League’s (NRL) annual season kick off Las Vegas Festival, which has quickly become a flagship event for Australian and international sports fans.
Las Vegas is also home to world-class entertainment, including residencies from some of the biggest names in music, and serves as a gateway to attractions like the Grand Canyon and the broader American Southwest regions.
For the past two years, the airline has operated charter flights in partnership with NRL from Australia’s East Coast to Las Vegas to get Aussie fans to games. Flights took off this week and, for the third year, in a row are fully booked.
Strong demand from Australians for international travel
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said strong customer demand for international travel is driving the airline’s expansion of seasonal services to destinations like Las Vegas.
“Australians’ appetite for international travel continues to be incredibly strong. Rome and Sapporo have shown us there’s real demand for seasonal services to destinations people want to visit at certain times of year, and we’re continuing to expand those direct connections around the world,” Mr. Wallace said.
“Our historic fleet renewal is giving us the flexibility to deploy aircraft where we see demand, opening up route possibilities that simply weren’t there before. Las Vegas becomes our 101st destination and is a great example of how we’re using that capability,” said Mr. Wallace.
President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Steve Hill, said Qantas’ new nonstop service from Sydney is a testament to the strength of the Australian market for Las Vegas.
“Australia has consistently ranked as our second-largest overseas market and our top international market without a nonstop flight. More than 250,000 Australians visit each year, drawn by the breadth and depth of experiences Las Vegas offers,” said Mr Hill.
Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, said that the new direct flight between Sydney and Las Vegas is a major win for travellers and will make it easier than ever for visitors from the US to experience Australia’s spectacular tourism offering.
“The flow of people between our countries has never been stronger. Last year, 745,000 Americans visited Australia, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors down under with the commencement of these new direct flights,” said Mr. Farrell.
Photo credit: Qantas
