Qantas Launching Nonstop Flights in 2022 Between Perth & Rome

Qantas is launching an exciting new route in the summer of 2022 — a nonstop route from Perth (PER) in Australia to Rome (FCO) in Italy! This flight will be one of the longest flights in the Qantas network and will provide the second nonstop link from Australia to Europe, with the first being nonstop flights from Perth to London (LHR).

The Flight

At more than 8,000 miles, this will be an incredibly long flight, clocking in at over 17 hours nonstop, depending on the tailwinds.

The flight will initially begin in Sydney, Australia’s most populated city, and then fly over to Perth. Because the plane cannot fly from Sydney to Rome without stopping (between passengers and cargo, the plane is too heavy to make the flight), it must land in Perth before refueling and then continuing onto Rome — very similar to the present-day London flight.

You can either travel from Sydney (SYD) – Perth (PER) – Rome (FCO), or from any other Australian city to Perth and then onwards, allowing you to minimize your transit time in another country. Qantas expects this will reduce total travel time by up to 3 hours.

The flight will be operated by a Boeing 787-9, featuring the following types of seats:

• 42 flat-bed business class seats
• 28 recliner-style premium economy class seats
• 166 traditional standard economy class seats

This will be a long flight and will feature several meal services and additional enhancements to help passengers cope with the time difference and also being in the air for so long.

The route will initially operate from June 22, 2022, to October 6, 2022, in line with the busy tourist season in Europe.

Project Sunrise

Qantas has had tremendous demand on its Perth to London nonstop flight, and there are future ambitions to do similar ultra-long-haul nonstop flights (known as Project Sunrise) from Sydney to London and New York, as well as several other major routes.

While Qantas designs the appropriate aircraft that are capable of handling these routes, the Perth to Europe flights are a great middle-ground, allowing passengers to avoid stops in Asia or the Middle East, as was previously done.

Who This Flight Is Great For

With Qantas flying to Rome, it is a perfect jumping-off point, not only to Italy, but also to other parts of the Mediterranean, including France. Passengers will also have easy access to Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and other nearby major countries that are easily accessible by train. While there no doubt will be plenty of passengers wanting to see the cultural sites of Rome, this flight puts many other European destinations within easy reach as well.

Transferring Points to Qantas Frequent Flyer

Traditionally these long nonstop flights have limited to no award availability at lower levels (due to them selling out), however, if you wish to travel on this particular service, it’s best to use Qantas Frequent Flyer points, since the program is an American Express transfer partner, Brex transfer partner, Capital One transfer partner, Citi transfer partner, and Marriott transfer partner.

Hot Tip: Learn about the best ways to earn lots of Qantas Frequent Flyer points in our detailed guide!

Final Thoughts

The new Qantas flight to Rome is a fantastic addition, not only for Australians wanting to visit Europe, but also for Europeans visiting the land down under. The flight will cut transit time down significantly, and from Perth, passengers will have a host of connecting flights to choose from, including onwards to Sydney. It will be interesting to see where else Qantas expands to in the years ahead, and there’s no doubt that this is not the last of the European cities we’ll see Qantas fly to.