Qantas has today (15 Mar) launched direct flights from Melbourne to Newcastle, connecting the Victorian capital with the Hunter region.

The new services represent the return of Qantas flights after a 10 year absence and will be operated 12 times every week with 125-seat Boeing 717 aircraft, adding more than 3,000 seats between the two cities each week.

QantasLink CEO, John Gissing, said the new flights were good news for local businesses in Newcastle and the Hunter region.

“We know Australians want to travel so we’ve been looking for opportunities to support new routes where there is demand and help deliver a boost for local businesses,” he said.

“These new services will bring more Victorians to Newcastle as well as the Port Stephens region and the world class Hunter Valley wineries.

“We expect this service will also be popular with our corporate travellers based in Newcastle. Flights are available at peak times in both directions and customers will enjoy the benefits of our premium service, including complimentary food and drinks, baggage and lounge access before they fly out,” Gissing said.

He said the new route adds to Qantas’ flights between Newcastle and Brisbane, with services progressively increasing over the coming weeks to a total of 24 return flights per week by the end of March.