Qatar Airways to fly Melbourne – Auckland over 2026/27 summer

By Andrew Curran.

Qatar Airways will operate fifth freedom Melbourne (MEL) – Auckland (AKL) return flights this upcoming southern summer instead of routing the service via Adelaide (ADL). The changes were first reported by AeroRoutes.

The Qatari carrier currently operates a daily Doha (DOH) – Melbourne (QR904/905) service using a B777-300ER. Effective December 9, 2026, that flight will continue to Auckland rather than immediately returning to Qatar.

Catching that service will require some stamina, however, with a post-midnight departure from Melbourne and a touchdown in Auckland just before breakfast.

The return service is far more civilised, departing Auckland Airport around lunchtime and arriving back in Melbourne during the mid-afternoon. The B777 then continues to Doha later that afternoon.

The service provides an alternative to Qantas, Air New Zealand and Jetstar, which currently operate the Melbourne – Auckland route. In previous years, the city pair has also been served by foreign carriers, including Emirates.

Fifth freedom flights from Adelaide to end in December

However, the change comes at the expense of Adelaide, from where Qatar Airways resumed its fifth freedom service to Auckland in mid-June. The airline previously operated the route for 18 months during 2022 and 2023.

Those flights will now end on December 8, although the daily Doha – Adelaide – Doha A350-900 service will continue. At present, the Melbourne – Auckland tag flights are only scheduled through to February 1, 2027. Whether the service continues via Melbourne after that date, reverts to operating via Adelaide, or is withdrawn altogether remains unknown.

Qatar Airways flights to Canberra upgraded to daily services

Meanwhile, previously publicised plans to resume Qatar Airways flights to Canberra (CBR), also via Melbourne, have changed. The B777-300ER services will still retart on December 8 but, instead of operating four times per week as originally announced, they will now operate daily.

Unlike the Melbourne – Auckland - Melbourne flights, existing cabotage rules prevent Qatar Airways selling the Melbourne – Canberra – Melbourne service as a stand-alone sector. Passengers must be originating from or flying to Doha or points beyond that airport.

However, Qatar Airways will have two B777-300ERs operating into Melbourne each day this southern summer, or three if the B777 wet-leased to Virgin Australia for its daily Melbourne – Doha – Melbourne service is included.

The wet-lease arrangement, together with the fifth freedom Auckland service, allows Qatar Airways to make use of a loophole in the air services agreement between Australia and Qatar, which caps the number of flights a carrier can operate non-stop to or from Doha and big Australian airports like Melbourne.

Further north, Sydney Airport (SYD) will also host three Qatar Airways aircraft each day this southern summer. Two will operate Virgin Australia's twice-daily Doha services, while the third will be assigned to Qatar Airways' own daily Doha – Sydney – Doha flight.

Photo: Qatar Airways.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com