Qantas has announced the return of flights between Sydney and Port Moresby, with the service timed to support growing travel as Papua New Guinea prepares to enter Australia’s premier rugby league competition.

The service will operate twice per week from March 2026 on the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft, adding almost 35,000 seats annually to Papua New Guinea and complementing Qantas’ existing daily Brisbane-Port Moresby flights.

The route will support increased travel in both directions, providing additional capacity for the sporting and leisure traffic expected between the two cities.

“We’re seeing growth in business travel between Sydney and Port Moresby and that’s building further as Papua New Guinea ramps up preparations for Australia’s premier rugby league competition in 2028,” said Qantas CEO International, Cam Wallace.

“The preparation work alone is generating travel, and once the team starts playing and fans and teams are travelling for matches, we expect that to increase significantly.

“It’s great to have this service back and give customers more options. Combined with our daily Brisbane service, Papua New Guinea has great connections to Australia’s two largest cities and access to our broader network.”

The route also supports growing business travel between the two countries, providing a direct link to Sydney and onward connections to Qantas’ domestic network across Australia and New Zealand.

The Sydney-Port Moresby service is being restored in response to expected demand driven by Papua New Guinea’s entry into Australia’s premier rugby league competition and continued growth in business and leisure travel, following a temporary suspension earlier this year.