Qantas begins preparing and equipping planes for return of international flights in Sydney
Qantas begins preparing and equipping planes for return of international flights in Sydney

Qantas' iconic kangaroo tail-wing livery, which flew regularly from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport 20 years ago, is making a grand return.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's first flight to Paris will take off Friday -- a service arriving just in time for the 2024 Olympic Games, which begins on July 26.

The move, inspired by the success of Perth-to-London and Perth-to-Rome flights, reinforces the airline's expertise in long-haul travel. With Australian Olympic athletes among the first passengers, the route fills the demand for direct connections as part of Qantas' ambitious Project Sunrise, reported WA Today.

The first return flight, lasting 17 hours and 20 minutes, will touchdown this Sunday, news outlet Perth Is Ok reported.

These flights, scheduled in time for the summer peak, save a crucial 3 hours of travel time. At first, flights will depart from Perth for Paris four days a week. Then, starting in mid-August, this frequency will change to a new timetable consisting of three flights each week.

The Western Australian government announced that the new constant long-haul flight route will be updated with 75,000 seats between Europe and Perth each year.

The Perth to Paris route is even longer than Qantas' Auckland to New York trip, and it connects handily with Sydney and Melbourne. Based on aviation statistics from OAG, this addition places Qantas at the top for four of the ten longest commercial flights in the world.

"Not only is this an important link between WA and France, it will also provide better connections for dozens of other European destinations, boosting tourism opportunities across the region," said Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti.