Qantas announces direct flights between Newcastle and Perth
Qantas has announced its first direct flights between Perth and Newcastle, cutting out a lengthy drive for travellers commuting between the cities.
The New QantasLink route launching on September 8 will make it easier for Aussies looking to travel to and from the east and west coast, with flights operating three times a week on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
The five-hour direct flight is set to save commuters time, as a flight or lengthy drive between Newcastle and Sydney will no longer be required.
The route will be chartered by a 150-seat Airbus A319, meaning that 900 seats are available per week and more than 45,000 annually to and from Western Australia.
Perth is the fifth most travelled-to destination for people in the Newcastle Airport catchment, and a Newcastle Airport survey in July last year revealed that an overwhelming 97 per cent of respondents said they would likely travel to Perth if direct flights were available.
The new Perth service is forecast to inject about $21.7m into the Newcastle economy each year and create 74 new jobs.
Newcastle Airport chief executive Linc Horton said the 'direct to Perth' service was necessary for the region.
'We've worked hard to secure this route because it's one our community and extended region needs,' Mr Horton said.
'The five-hour service saves travellers a lengthy drive to Sydney and connects Newcastle and the Greater Hunter directly with WA's resources sector, creating enormous potential for business travel and fly-in fly-out operations.
'It also brings loved ones together and unlocks international one-stop connections via Perth to cities like London, Paris, Johannesburg and seasonal to Rome.
'Western Australia is a vital part of Australia's economy, and this service gives the Hunter's businesses and workers faster, easier access to it. It also supports our strategy to strengthen the airport's role as a key economic enabler for the region.
'The benefits aren't just outbound. With direct access to the Hunter, Perth-based travellers now have easier reach to a region known for wine, coastlines, defence and energy innovation.'
Port Stephens Mayor and Newcastle Airport director Leah Anderson said the region deserved direct flights to Perth.
'It's about time saved, convenience gained and opportunities unlocked. For the people of Newcastle, Port Stephens, the Greater Hunter and south through to the Central Coast, whether it's for FIFO work, family reunions or seeing more of Australia – this new route makes travel easier and more accessible,' she said.
Qantas will also reinstate a direct Perth-to-Hobart service for the first time since 2023, operating three times a week most months of the year.
Flights between Perth and Hobart will begin from September 26 and will be available year-round outside of May, June and August.
The flights, also chartered by A319 aircraft, are available on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays and will add an additional 32,000 seats annually.
The services will be available for booking on qantas.com from Thursday morning, with economy launch fares starting from $299 Perth-Newcastle one-way and $299 Perth-Hobart one-way. The sale ends 11.59pm AEST on Monday, June 2, unless sold out prior.
QantasLink chief executive Rachel Yangoyan said the company was proud to be supporting WA's resource and tourism sector.
'These direct services will not only boost inbound visitors to WA but offer more opportunities for those working in the resource sectors across the country with improved options for their travel,' she said.
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A US-centred think tank continues to pay the wage of one journalist, while others haven't drawn a salary since January. "It has had an impact on our operations. We used to travel out to do stories across the provinces. That has not been done since early this year," Mr Eremae said. A private donor came forward after learning of the cuts with a one-off grant that was used for rent to secure the office, he said. Its funding shortfall - like Port Moresby-based outlet Inside PNG - is linked to USAID, the world's biggest single funder of development assistance, until Mr Trump axed its multi-billion dollar budget. Much of USAID's funding was spent on humanitarian causes - such as vaccines, clean water supplies and food security - but some was also earmarked for media in developing nations, with the aim of bolstering fragile democracies. Inside PNG used its support to build an audience of tens of thousands with incisive reports on PNG politics: not just Port Moresby, but in the regions including wantaway province Bougainville that has a long history of conflict. "The current lack of funding has unfortunately had a dual impact, affecting both our dedicated staff, whom we're currently unable to pay, and our day-to-day operations," Inside PNG managing director Kila Wani, told AAP. "We've had to let off 80 per cent of staff from payroll which is a big hit because we're not a very big team. "Logistically, it's become challenging to carry out our work as we normally would." AAP has confirmed a number of other media entities in the region which have suffered hits, but declined to share their stories. The funding hits are all the more damaging given the challenges faced by the Pacific, as outlined in the Pacific Islands Media Freedom Index. The latest report listed a string of challenges, notably weak legal protections for free speech, political interference on editorial independence, and a lack of funding underpinning high-quality media, in the region. The burning question for these outlets - and their audiences - is do other sources of funding exist to fill the gap? Inside PNG is refocusing energy on attracting new donors, as is In-depth Solomons, which has also turned to crowdfunding. The Australian and New Zealand governments have also provided targeted support for the media sector across the region, including ABC International Development (ABCID), which has enjoyed a budget increase from Anthony Albanese's government. Inside PNG and In-depth Solomons both receive training and content-focused grants from ABCID, which helps, but doesn't fund the underpinning costs for a media business or keep on the lights. Both Mr Eremae, who edited two major newspapers before founding the investigative outlet, and Mr Armbruster, a long-time SBS Correspondent, expressed their dismay at the US pivot away from the Pacific. "It's a huge mistake on the part of the US ... the world's leading democracy. The media is one of the pillars of democracy," Mr Eremae said. "It is, I believe, in the interests of the US and other democratic countries to give funding to media in countries like the Solomon Islands where we cannot survive due to lack of advertising (budgets). As a veteran of Pacific reporting, Mr Armbruster said he had witnessed US disinterest in the region contribute to the wider geopolitical struggle for influence. "The US government was trying to re-establish its presence after vacating the space decades ago. It had promised to re-engage, dedicating funding largely driven by its efforts to counter China, only to now betray those expectations," he said. "The US government has senselessly destroyed a highly valued news service in the Pacific. An own goal." America's retreat from foreign aid is being felt deeply in Pacific media, where pivotal outlets are being shuttered and journalists work unpaid. The result is fewer investigations into dubiously motivated politicians, glimpses into conflicts otherwise unseen and a less diverse media in a region which desperately needs it. "It is a huge disappointment ... a senseless waste," Benar News' Australian head of Pacific news, Stefan Armbruster, told AAP after seeing his outlet go under. Benar News, In-depth Solomons and Inside PNG are three digital outlets which enjoyed US support but have been cruelled by President Donald Trump's about-face on aid. Benar closed its doors in April after an executive order disestablishing Voice of America, which the Unitd States created during World War II to combat Nazi propaganda. An offshoot of Radio Free Asia (RFA) focused on Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Benar kept a close eye on abuses in West Papua, massacres and gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea and more. The Pacific arm quickly became indispensable to many, with a team of reporters and freelancers working in 15 countries on a budget under $A1 million. "Our coverage of decolonisation in the Pacific received huge interest, as did our coverage of the lack women's representation in parliaments, human rights, media freedom, deep sea mining and more," Mr Armbruster said. In-depth Solomons, a Honiara-based digital outlet, is another facing an existential threat despite a proud record of investigative and award-winning reporting. Last week, it was honoured with a peer-nominated award from the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan for a year-long probe into former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare's property holdings. "We're just holding on," editor and co-founder Ofani Eremae told AAP. A US-centred think tank continues to pay the wage of one journalist, while others haven't drawn a salary since January. "It has had an impact on our operations. We used to travel out to do stories across the provinces. That has not been done since early this year," Mr Eremae said. A private donor came forward after learning of the cuts with a one-off grant that was used for rent to secure the office, he said. Its funding shortfall - like Port Moresby-based outlet Inside PNG - is linked to USAID, the world's biggest single funder of development assistance, until Mr Trump axed its multi-billion dollar budget. Much of USAID's funding was spent on humanitarian causes - such as vaccines, clean water supplies and food security - but some was also earmarked for media in developing nations, with the aim of bolstering fragile democracies. 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The latest report listed a string of challenges, notably weak legal protections for free speech, political interference on editorial independence, and a lack of funding underpinning high-quality media, in the region. The burning question for these outlets - and their audiences - is do other sources of funding exist to fill the gap? Inside PNG is refocusing energy on attracting new donors, as is In-depth Solomons, which has also turned to crowdfunding. The Australian and New Zealand governments have also provided targeted support for the media sector across the region, including ABC International Development (ABCID), which has enjoyed a budget increase from Anthony Albanese's government. Inside PNG and In-depth Solomons both receive training and content-focused grants from ABCID, which helps, but doesn't fund the underpinning costs for a media business or keep on the lights. Both Mr Eremae, who edited two major newspapers before founding the investigative outlet, and Mr Armbruster, a long-time SBS Correspondent, expressed their dismay at the US pivot away from the Pacific. "It's a huge mistake on the part of the US ... the world's leading democracy. The media is one of the pillars of democracy," Mr Eremae said. "It is, I believe, in the interests of the US and other democratic countries to give funding to media in countries like the Solomon Islands where we cannot survive due to lack of advertising (budgets). As a veteran of Pacific reporting, Mr Armbruster said he had witnessed US disinterest in the region contribute to the wider geopolitical struggle for influence. "The US government was trying to re-establish its presence after vacating the space decades ago. It had promised to re-engage, dedicating funding largely driven by its efforts to counter China, only to now betray those expectations," he said. "The US government has senselessly destroyed a highly valued news service in the Pacific. An own goal."
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
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Fernandes confirmed on Tuesday he had received an "exciting offer" from the Riyadh-based club to switch after what was a disappointing season for United. "They waited for me to think about my future, because I said only if Manchester thought it was the time to move on that I'd be willing to do so," Fernandes said through an interpreter. "I talked to the gaffer, Ruben Amorim, and at the time he asked me not to go. I then talked to Man United. They said they didn't want to sell me. If I wanted to go, I could, but they didn't need the money, they didn't need to sell me." Media reports suggested Al Hilal was prepared to pay 100 million pounds ($A209 million) to take the 30-year-old Fernandes from United, while offering him a wage of 700,000 pounds ($A1.46 million) a week to play for the Saudi Pro League team, which will compete in the Club World Cup this month in the United States. "It was a very exciting offer," Fernandes said. "The president of Al Hilal, he was very nice to me. He talked to my manager, but then I talked to my wife and as a family we wanted to see what I wanted to do. She asked me, what do you want to do with your future?" Fernandes last year signed a contract extension to stay at Old Trafford until June 2027. This season did not go as planned as the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing 15th in the Premier League. United also endured the heartbreak of losing the Europa League final to Tottenham. "We had goals and we didn't meet them," said Fernandes, a key figure for United since his arrival in January 2020. He said it would have been easy for the family to make the move to Riyadh, and for him to adjust to the team with Portugal teammates Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo already playing for Al Hilal. "I'm used to them, but I want to play at the highest possible level," Fernandes said. "I want play for major competitions. I know I still can, and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most." Fernandes was speaking as a Portugal player before the team's Nations League semi-final against Germany on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) in Munich. The winner of that game will face either France or Spain in Sunday's final. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has turned down a proposed move to Saudi club Al Hilal because he wants "to play at the highest possible level". Fernandes confirmed on Tuesday he had received an "exciting offer" from the Riyadh-based club to switch after what was a disappointing season for United. "They waited for me to think about my future, because I said only if Manchester thought it was the time to move on that I'd be willing to do so," Fernandes said through an interpreter. "I talked to the gaffer, Ruben Amorim, and at the time he asked me not to go. I then talked to Man United. They said they didn't want to sell me. If I wanted to go, I could, but they didn't need the money, they didn't need to sell me." Media reports suggested Al Hilal was prepared to pay 100 million pounds ($A209 million) to take the 30-year-old Fernandes from United, while offering him a wage of 700,000 pounds ($A1.46 million) a week to play for the Saudi Pro League team, which will compete in the Club World Cup this month in the United States. "It was a very exciting offer," Fernandes said. "The president of Al Hilal, he was very nice to me. He talked to my manager, but then I talked to my wife and as a family we wanted to see what I wanted to do. She asked me, what do you want to do with your future?" Fernandes last year signed a contract extension to stay at Old Trafford until June 2027. This season did not go as planned as the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing 15th in the Premier League. United also endured the heartbreak of losing the Europa League final to Tottenham. "We had goals and we didn't meet them," said Fernandes, a key figure for United since his arrival in January 2020. He said it would have been easy for the family to make the move to Riyadh, and for him to adjust to the team with Portugal teammates Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo already playing for Al Hilal. "I'm used to them, but I want to play at the highest possible level," Fernandes said. "I want play for major competitions. I know I still can, and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most." Fernandes was speaking as a Portugal player before the team's Nations League semi-final against Germany on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) in Munich. The winner of that game will face either France or Spain in Sunday's final.
