Qantas has resumed direct flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong with QF29 taking off from the Victorian capital this week (Jun 20).

The new services will re-establish the Flying Kangaroo’s direct connection between Victoria and Hong Kong after a three-year pandemic-induced pause and the airline is initially flying three services per week, before increasing to four from mid-July, then daily from October.

“Hong Kong has traditionally been one of our most popular destinations and we’re really pleased to be flying there direct from Melbourne once again,” said Qantas International CEO, Cameron Wallace.

“As well as providing a convenient service to Victorian based business travellers and holiday makers, the flights will also help entice more tourists to Victoria to experience some of Australia’s best wine regions and Melbourne’s popular dining culture.

“We are continuing to expand our international network out of Victoria to support customer demand and this launch comes just in time for the Winter holiday period, making it easy for Victorians to escape to Hong Kong for a short break,” he said.

Wallace said the flights would boost inbound tourism, making it easier for travellers from Hong Kong to explore the regions of Victoria and enjoy the vibrancy of Melbourne, while also offering unrivalled connectivity on Qantas’ domestic network to travel across Australia.

He said bookings on the Melbourne – Hong Kong services are performing well both inbound and outbound, particularly around the upcoming winter school holiday period, and the resumption of the route comes as Qantas continues to restore international capacity with extra flights, more aircraft and new routes in line with strong travel demand.

“The Qantas Group is expected to return to around 100 per cent of its international network pre-COVID capacity by March 2024, up from around 85 per cent of pre-COVID levels today,” Wallace said. “This is a significant increase from just 45 per cent 12 months ago.”

Eligible customers will be able to access the recently reopened Qantas Hong Kong International lounge and Qantas lounges in Melbourne prior to departure.

The Qantas Hong Kong International Lounge was also refreshed as part of the airline’s AU$100-million-dollar investment into its award-winning global lounge network.