The first direct flight from Perth to the city of love and lights will take off Friday night — with the connection flying four days a week during the Olympics.
Premier Roger Cook and Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti celebrated the start of the connection to Paris hours before the first flight, which follows the establishment of direct links to London and Rome.
The first direct flight from Paris to Perth will touchdown on Sunday afternoon.
The nearly 17-hour Qantas flight operates four days per week during the European summer and Paris Olympics, with the service to continue three times per week from the middle of next month.
The new service adds more than 75,000 seats between Europe and Perth annually, saving travellers at least three hours.
Ms Saffioti said the Perth-Rome link, established in 2022, saw Italy rise from WA’s 23rd biggest tourism market to its 11th biggest market.
“It’s been a massive couple of years for our aviation industry, and it’s so exciting to be launching yet another direct flight into WA, this time from Paris and just in time for the 2024 Olympic Games,” she said.
“Reconnecting WA with the rest of the world has been a major focus for us since borders reopened post-pandemic, and with 20 direct international links now secured or relaunched, it’s safe to say our State is well and truly cementing itself as a key destination for travel and business.”
Premier Roger Cook said WA was one of a few jurisdictions in the country that had restored its international tourism market to pre-COVID levels.
“This is a key part of our plan to diversify the Western Australian economy,” Mr Cook said.