Flying to Australia

General Information

As one might expect, Australia is extremely well served, both internationally and domestically, in terms of air travel. The country has over 2,000 "airport sites" as they are called there—including airports, airfields, and simple landing strips, even in remote bush locations where air travel is the only means of transport. However, if we consider only those with regular commercial traffic, this number drops drastically to around 150. Still, that’s quite a lot and offers countless opportunities for air travel across the continent.

In more detail, Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport remains the busiest, with over 40 million passengers per year. This figure could even grow with the recent opening of a second airport in the city: Western Sydney International Airport.

Other well-frequented airports include Melbourne Airport (over 35 million), Brisbane Airport (25 million), Perth Airport (15 million), Gold Coast Airport (6 million), and those in Cairns, Hobart, Canberra, and Darwin, each handling between 2 and 5 million passengers annually. Additionally, there are half a dozen more airports with over a million passengers each. In short, there’s plenty of activity across the country.

Local Airlines

When it comes to air travel in Australia, the national carrier Qantas is impossible to ignore. Many may not know that it is one of the oldest airlines in the world (founded in 1920), the only one to fly to all continents—including scheduled scenic day flights over Antarctica (without landing)—a founding member of the Oneworld Alliance, and, most notably, a carrier that has never had a fatal accident since its inception (though this requires slight qualification). As a result, Qantas is often regarded as the safest airline in the world. With a network of around a hundred scheduled destinations operated by Qantas and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, the group carries 55 million passengers annually, 40% of whom fly with Jetstar.

In short, Qantas is the undisputed leader in Australian skies. However, despite its somewhat dominant position, the country has around twenty other regular airlines operating domestically and internationally, not to mention numerous niche micro-carriers.

That said, the Australian market is dominated—or even overshadowed—by three main brands that carry over 95% of passengers, which visitors are very likely to use. These are Qantas and Jetstar on one side, and Virgin Australia on the other, their only competitor, serving around forty cities across the country and the Pacific region.

From France and Europe

Given the distance between Europe and Australia—between 14,000 and 16,000 km—it’s no surprise that direct flights are rare. Even with the arrival of the new Airbus A350-1000, capable of flying up to 22 hours non-stop over distances of up to 18,000 km, this is set to change. For now, only Perth, on Australia’s west coast, receives non-stop Qantas flights from London and Paris, and occasionally Rome, with a flight time of 16 to 17 hours. This means that between Europe and Australia, flights with connections and stopovers are the norm.

There are plenty of options, with routes passing through the Gulf, Singapore (especially), and various other cities along the way, operated by airlines from these regions. Additionally, it’s possible to transit within Australia itself to reach your final destination. In short, there are many possibilities—though a significant budget should be expected.

While occasional "budget" tickets can be found for around 900 € in the low season (May to August), prices typically range between 1,100 € and 1,600 €, and much higher in December and January. The final destination within Australia can also affect the price.

As always, airlines from the Gulf generally offer the best balance of duration, quality, and price. Beyond just cost, the quality of the carrier and total flight time should also be considered. The chosen route matters too, as it’s possible to reach Australia via North America, though this is often longer and more expensive, with only about 10% of travellers opting for this route.

From Asia and the Rest of the Pacific

Australia is extremely well connected to the rest of the Pacific (including New Caledonia and French Polynesia) as well as Asia, thanks to Qantas and numerous other carriers, including low-cost airlines. Notably, around half a dozen Australian airports offer a good selection of destinations.

From Elsewhere

No matter where you are in the world, you’ll find at least one or two direct routes to Australia. The advantage of being a vast island.

Beyond Europe and the Middle East, the Americas have flights primarily to Australia’s east coast, especially Sydney, from the USA, Canada, and Chile. As for Africa, traffic logically passes through Perth, the closest Australian city, with routes from Mauritius and South Africa.