Qantas will begin seasonal direct flights between Sydney and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport . The move comes as a response to significant increased travel between Australia and Japan.

Qantas will deploy three seasonal flights, which will start from 14 December and last through to 24 March 2018. The airline’s upgraded, two-class Airbus A330 aircraft will be used on the flight path which will feature the latest Qantas Business Suites in the business class cabin boasting fully flat beds with direct aisle access at every seat.

The seasonal flights will support Qantas’ regular Sydney-Tokyo (Haneda), Brisbane-Tokyo (Narita), and Melbourne-Tokyo (Narita) services, offering customers further options for travel to Japan over the Australian east coast summer months. Qantas’ extensive reach in both Australia and Japan (including Qantas’ trans-Tasman network) means travellers have more connection opportunities both in Sydney and Osaka.

Commenting on the new route, Qantas International CEO, Gareth Evans said, “This December we celebrate 70 years of flying to Japan and we’re delighted to add another destination to the growing list of services Qantas operates between the two countries at a time when travel to Japan is booming.”

“Our commitment to the Japanese market is reflective of the strength of this growth, which we are very well placed to support with the largest Australia-Japan network, the largest domestic network in Australia, and the largest low-cost domestic network across Japan through Jetstar Japan.’

On Thursdays and Saturdays, flight QF33 will take off from Sydney at 0930 and arrive Osaka at 1725. On Mondays, it will depart Sydney in the afternoon at 1325 for an evening touch down in Osaka of 2120.

The return service will see flight QF34 depart Sydney at 1855 on Thursdays and Saturdays with an early morning arrival time in Sydney of 0645 the next day. On Mondays, departure time will be 2250 from Osaka, before arriving in Sydney at 1040 the following morning.