Qantas is adding Broken Hill to its domestic roster for the first time, with direct flights from Sydney kicking off in April.

The national carrier will operate two weekly return flights between Sydney and Broken Hill with its 50-seat Q300 aircraft from 8 April 2022.

Broken Hill joins the 57 regional and rural towns across Australia that makeup QantasLink’s regional network.

With the inclusion of Broken Hill, Qantas has launched 52 new domestic routes since the start of the global pandemic to cater for increased demand as Australians seek out new holiday adventures closer to home.

Broken Hill Regional Council Mayor Tom Kennedy said the community would be excited to see the arrival of Qantas and to see some competition in the local market.

“Air travel is of vital importance to our community for tourism, health, and education, and I’d like to thank Qantas for providing locals with more options and more flexibility by offering their services out of Broken Hill,” Kennedy said.

The flights will operate on a Monday and Friday to offer Broken Hill residents an easy long weekend in the city and allow visitors to make the most out of their outback exploration.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the service will create stronger connections for the far west of NSW for both business and leisure travellers.

“We are constantly looking for new opportunities to stimulate domestic tourism and support small business operators across regional Australia,” said Gissing.

“We know many Australians are eager for their next holiday destination and outback NSW has plenty to offer. This new route will make it easier for travellers to experience Broken Hill’s rich history, growing cultural scene and spectacular natural surrounds.

“Residents of the far west will be able to seamlessly connect on to our domestic and international networks through Sydney, with local businesses and industries set to benefit from stronger travel connections and more visitors.

“QantasLink customers and Frequent Flyers will be able to earn and use Qantas Points on the new flights to enjoy premium service, including complimentary food and drinks, checked baggage and access to Qantas lounges in Sydney.”

The airline has also invested in giving its Frequent Flyer members more value with 30 to 45 per cent fewer points needed for all Qantas Hotels and Qantas Holidays bookings.

This permanent change in value will deliver more per point for the program’s 13 million members when they book hotels and holidays.

Specifically, the changes mean that from today when using Qantas Points frequent flyers will need:

• 45 per cent fewer points when combining accommodation and Qantas or Jetstar flights in one booking across all Qantas Holidays packages.
• 30 per cent fewer points across more than 440,000 hotels when booking Qantas Hotels.

Frequent flyers will also need 20 per cent fewer points when using Points Plus Pay on flight bookings made before the end of April 2022, for travel up until April 2023.

The Living Desert Reserve in the Barrier Ranges, Broken Hill (iStock/robynbrody)