VIRGIN Australia has partnered with the Queensland Government and Cairns Airport to introduce a new year-round, daily Cairns-Tokyo service.
Kicking off on 28 June 2023, the service will be operated by new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, adding over 2,000 seats per week and bringing an additional 30,000 visitors into Cairns every year.
“We know the Japanese market is hugely important to trade and tourism in Far North Queensland and the Sunshine State and our service will result in more international visitors arriving in Cairns every year, having a very positive impact on the State’s economy,” Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said.
The new route, which is supported through the Queensland Government’s $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, is expected to generate almost $70 million for the Tropical North’s visitor economy and support 680 jobs, according to Queensland Minister for Tourism, Stirling Hinchliffe.
“Japan is an important part of our inbound international tourism recovery plan for iconic destinations like Cairns and Tropical North Queensland,” he explained.
“From World Heritage-listed rainforests to the Great Barrier Reef, we know Japanese travellers love Tropical North Queensland’s great lifestyle and first-class visitor experiences.”
Virgin Australia also announced an extension of its strategic partnership with Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) to offer greater codeshare flight access between the countries in addition to reciprocal loyalty benefits for Velocity and ANA Mileage Club frequent flyers.
The flights are on sale now from as low as $699 Economy Lite return as part of Virgin Australia’s celebratory ‘Hello Tokyo’ sale, which is on until midnight 20 December 2022 or until sold out.
