Qantas begins new Uluru flights
Qantas has kicked off direct flights to the red centre from Darwin and Adelaide.
The twice a week services operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays to Ayers Rock Airport, and will meet the growing demand for visits to the iconic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the airline says.
"We’re seeing more demand for travel to Uluru from international and interstate tourists than we have in a long time," said Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David.
Both routes are operated by Boeing 737 jets.
David said the direct routes will save passengers up to five hours compared to previous one-stop connections via other cities.
Qantas also links Uluru with Sydney and Brisbane.
The Northern Territory government expects the routes to boost tourism numbers with nearly 700 more seats now available to the destination each week, especially as there is now a Darwin-Uluru nonstop service for the first time.
The flight launch comes several months ahead of the planned climbing ban at the Rock, a sacred site, which takes effect on October 26.
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