Qantas is increasing capacity on its popular Sydney to Sapporo route for the 2026-27 season, with flights expanding from three per week to five per week.

The move is in response to strong performance and exceptional demand during the current ski season, according to Qantas International CEO, Cam Wallace.

He said the enhanced schedule represents over a 50 per cent capacity increase for next season, adding more than 10,000 additional seats to cater for Australians chasing Hokkaido’s famous snow and a total of nearly 35,000 seats between the two cities.

“Since launching flights from Sydney to Sapporo last month the response from customers has been incredibly strong,” he said.

“We’re only halfway through the current season and already we’ve carried almost 10,000 customers on the route and demand is high for the rest of the season.

“Japan remains a key focus for Qantas in the Asia region [and] by adding more flights next season, it cements our dedication to strengthening ties between our two countries and gives Australian travellers more choice and seamless direct access to Hokkaido’s snow,” Wallace said.

Qantas is the only airline to establish a non-stop link between Sydney and Sapporo, with the seasonal service launching in December 2025.

Sapporo also became the 100th destination to join the airline’s international network, boosting tourism in both directions and catering to the increasing demand from Australians looking to experience Japan’s ski slopes.