The Flying Kangaroo launches first non-hop flight to France in 20 years

Le kangourou volant will return to France in time for the Paris Olympics

Australia’s national flag carrier will operate four direct, non-stop flights between Perth and the French capital in the lead up to the Games, with the number of services dropping to three a week in mid-August, a few days after the Olympics finish.

Qantas said its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner service cuts around three hours off the current fastest flight times available between the two cities, and adds 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year.

With a journey time of 17 hours and 20 minutes, the 14,264km journey will also be the longest non-stop flight to France from anywhere in the world.

It is the airline’s third non-stop route from Australia to Europe, joining Perth-London and Perth-Rome in its network.

Qantas has flown to Paris before, but its last service ended in 2004 and operated a one-stop route via Singapore.

Vanessa Hudson, the airline’s CEO, said: “There is a lot of excitement amongst our customers and crew that Qantas is returning to Paris and that it’s a non-stop flight between Perth and Paris.

“In recent years we have seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long haul routes and avoiding stop overs wherever possible. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome have some of the highest customer satisfaction on our international network.

“With these new flights, our customers can depart Perth in the evening and arrive in Paris in time to enjoy brunch overlooking the Eiffel Tower.”

According to Qantas, its Dreamliner has been specially adapted for long-haul flights with “large windows, high cabin humidity and relaxing mood lighting” to minimise passenger jet lag.

Travellers in business class will also bag designer pyjamas and feast on classic French dishes such as Bouillabaisse of snapper, Skull Island prawns, and a French 75 cocktail.

A selection of movies celebrating French cinema, including Amélie and Midnight in Paris, will be available across the international inflight system throughout July.

Western Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Rita Saffioti said direct flights formed a major part of the WA Government’s overarching tourism strategy.

She added: “We’re really excited to have this flight between Perth and Paris take off, as one of 20 international destinations we now have direct links with.

“We know that people are more likely to travel to places they’re able to easily access, so this is another big win for tourism in Western Australia.”