Major US airline adds direct flight from Brisbane to LA

Brisbane and North America continue to connect ahead of the Olympics with the announcement of another direct flight to Queensland.

Commencing from December 4, American aviation giant Delta Air Lines will launch three weekly seasonal flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane, signifying a significant boost for the state’s local visitor economy.

“Brisbane is charting unprecedented territory, witnessing an unparalleled level of interest from North American visitors,” Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said.

“I’m not sure if it is the upcoming Olympics or the insatiable appetite for Bluey, but right now Brisbane is the ‘must add’ destination for North American carriers, and this opens a world of opportunity.”

The new route is Delta’s first time flying into Brisbane, and only its second Australian destination.

By Christmas, Brisbane will be home to four of America’s biggest airline operators, including American Airlines, United and Air Canada.

It will bring the total number of flights per week from North America to Brisbane to 34, with seat capacity expected to jump to 144 per cent of pre-COVID capacity.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday morning, deputy premier, minister for trade and investment Cameron Dick, described the announcement as “great news for tourists”.

“This is the Olympic route – LA ’28, Brisbane ’32 – that’s the route that Delta will be flying,” Dick said.

“We’re going to have 114,000 tourists travelling to Queensland over a three-year period [and] that’s going to put $200 million into our Queensland economy.”

Tourism Minister Michael Healy said it was a huge win for Queensland and the state’s international tourism recovery.

“The US was Queensland’s third-largest visitor market in 2019, so we know there is a real appetite from Americans to travel to Queensland and enjoy our great lifestyle and iconic visitor experiences,” he said.

“The US also represents the 10th largest international student cohort in Queensland so this announcement will help us attract even more students and their families back for extended stays.

Delta Air Lines is the 26th international airline to service Brisbane, which now has direct connections to 30 overseas destinations.

It speaks to the city’s growing international reputation and the momentum to connect Queensland’s capital to more global destinations ahead of the Olympics.

In December, United Airlines launched a direct Brisbane to Los Angeles flight, with plans to recommence flights during peak travel months in late 2024.

In January, Emirates announced a second daily Airbus A380 service between the Queensland capital and Dubai from October 2024, allowing an extra 100,000 passengers per year to travel between the state and Europe.

And earlier this month, the world’s largest airline operator American Airlines announced a new direct service between Brisbane and Dallas Fort Worth from October 2024, set to be the longest non-stop flight in its network.

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