14/10/2022
The beauty of the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is now even closer for Victorians with direct flights between Melbourne and Exmouth announced this morning.
The route will make it quicker and easier for east coast travellers to visit - the gateway to - on Australia's Coral Coast.
The first Qantas service will depart Melbourne on 30 April 2023, with five-hour flights between Melbourne Airport and Learmonth (Exmouth) Airport to run twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays.
The direct flights will save travellers more than three hoursโ travel time compared to flying via Perth.
The service will be available during Exmouthโs peak season, operating from April until October 2023.
Qantas is offering special airfares from today, with prices from $399 one-way when booked at least 45 days in advance and subject to availability.
The direct service will run on a Qantas Boeing 737 aircraft, with more than 18,000 seats available across the peak season.
Exmouth recently received national recognition after being named Australiaโs Top Small Tourism Town for 2022 at the Australian Top Tourism Awards in Canberra.
The new direct flights begin 10 days after the Total Solar Eclipse on 20 April 2023, which is expected to attract thousands of domestic and international visitors to Exmouth and regional centres such as Onslow and Carnarvon.
Todayโs announcement is a win for visitors but also for tourism operators and local businesses in the region.
Our tourism strategy is focused on attracting more tourists to support local businesses to sustain more local jobs.
We also want to make it easier for tourists from interstate and overseas to fly direct to regional WA.