Qantas direct links London to Perth

I welcome the announcement today of a new non-stop service between Perth and London by Qantas Airways.

This announcement shows the sky-high potential of the Australian tourism industry, which is already outperforming the rest of the Australian economy.

There has never been a non-stop passenger service linking Australia and Europe. This new route will make it easier for tourists from the United Kingdom and throughout Europe to get to Australia.

With a range of around 15,000 kilometres, the Boeing 787 has the potential to open even more non-stop destinations with which Australia has never been connected.

The United Kingdom is Australia's third largest source market for international visitors. More than 660,000 tourists came to Australia from the United Kingdom in the last year, spending $3.7 billion.

Qantas will also use Perth Airport as an onward hub for flights from the Australian East Coast to the United Kingdom, which will increase passenger movements through Perth Airport, creating more jobs in Perth. Qantas flights between Australia and the United Kingdom currently hub through Dubai.

The number of international visitors to Western Australia has grown 23 per cent over the last three years, with some 920,000 tourists spending $2.4 billion last year. A daily Boeing 787 service would add an additional 86,000 seats between London and Perth each year.