BREAKING: After more than a decade, Qantas has today announced a return to international flying from Adelaide. From 31 October 2025, the airline will launch seasonal nonstop flights to Auckland.
It’s a significant announcement for a market that hasn’t seen Qantas international services since 2013. But is it a stepping stone to more, or a low risk re-entry?
Where will Qantas fly to?
Qantas will operate a Boeing 737-800, flying four times a week, seasonally, between Adelaide and Auckland.
The 737 is Qantas’ standard aircraft for many trans-Tasman flights. It offers recliner-style business seating with no lie-flat beds. The service will feature the only business class product on the route, following Air New Zealand’s downgrade from a Dreamliner to an A321neo during the pandemic.
That edge may win over some premium traffic, but for many South Australian flyers, the real demand is for a nonstop service to Asia — Singapore, Tokyo, or another hub that opens access to the wider Qantas international network.
A direct Asia service would give Adelaide stronger international connectivity and align more closely with its outbound demand profile. And the aircraft for that kind of expansion is already in Qantas’ pipeline. In March, I joined the airline’s A321XLR tour in Hamburg and raised Adelaide’s international prospects directly with CEO Vanessa Hudson. That aircraft is built for medium-haul routes, and Adelaide is ready for one.
Qantas re-entry puts pressure on sky-high Air NZ fares
With Air New Zealand having enjoyed a monopoly on this route for years, pricing has crept into uncomfortable territory. Economy fares during peak periods have regularly pushed past $900 return, sometimes closer to the cheapest sale fares to Europe and often more than double what it costs to fly to Bali.
Last week, Consumer New Zealand flagged concerning fare levels on trans-Tasman routes operated by both Qantas and Air NZ. The return of competition on ADL–AKL, even seasonally, is welcome. For local travellers used to inflated pricing on a one-carrier route, this re-entry should help put downward pressure on fares.
New ways to earn, redeem and upgrade on Qantas International from Adelaide
For the first time in over a decade, Qantas Frequent Flyers in SA will be able to both earn and redeem points on a nonstop international Qantas service from their home port.
The new service will open up access to additional economy and business Classic Reward seats and upgrade opportunities on Qantas metal, without the need to position through Sydney or Melbourne. While capacity up front will be limited, this route will create redemption opportunities that simply haven’t existed locally.
Adelaide gets its first Qantas Business Lounge
Opening today, the new Qantas Adelaide Domestic Business Lounge finally brings Adelaide in line with Qantas’ domestic network. For Platinum and above frequent flyers, this has been a long time coming.
It’s understood Qantas has seen steady growth in high-value corporate and SME travel from South Australia, and the lounge is part of a broader investment in ground-based experience. Importantly, this investment isn’t just about domestic travel. Adelaide doesn’t have a dedicated international Qantas lounge, and many international carriers use the Qantas Club. With the Qantas Club recently refreshed and the Business Lounge now open, Qantas has built in the flexibility to support premium international departures.
The new space has been designed with South Australian influences including the Adelaide Botanic Garden, Flinders Chase and the Central Market. It features a Market Kitchen concept and menus by Neil Perry and Maggie Beer. Eighty percent of seats have access to charging, and the layout is built to support both business and leisure travellers.
Conclusion
This isn’t a bold relaunch, but it is a reset. Qantas is finally back in the international game from Adelaide. There’s now a direct path to Qantas reward redemptions. Fare pressure will return to Adelaide’s only trans-Tasman route. And for business class travellers and elite frequent flyer members, the lounge experience is where it should have been years ago.
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