Qantas to Launch First-Ever Nonstop Flight Between Australia and Las Vegas

Not having to connect through another larger airport will be a time-saver for travelers, with the release noting that flying direct to Vegas will cut about five hours off the average person’s travel time. Airports like LAX in Los Angeles or SFO in San Francisco can have long customs and immigration lines, slower luggage pickup and recheck, longer walks between terminals, and higher chances of delays and cancellations. However, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is much smaller than LAX or SFO, making the arrival and departure process a little less hectic.

Photo: Qantas Media Room/Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

More than 250,000 Australians visit Las Vegas annually, according to the airline’s release, making Australia the city’s top international market without a nonstop flight, according to LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill. Australia has ranked as the fourth-largest source of international visitors to Las Vegas since 2010, behind only Canada, Mexico, and the UK. That means the demand is already there, rather than the airline needing to build demand for a new market.

For now, the flight is seasonal, scheduled around major Las Vegas events like the massive Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, and the week-long National Rugby League’s Las Vegas Festival, which drew more than 25,000 Australians to the city in 2025. Qantas has operated charter flights to Las Vegas for NRL fans for the past three years, with every seat selling out every year.

Photo: Qantas Media Room/Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

The announcement comes at a moment when Las Vegas could use the boost. The city received 38.5 million visitors in 2025, down from 41.7 million in 2024. It was a drop of 7.5 percent, one the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said had a large economic impact on the city. The drop was attributed mostly to a loss of Canadian visitors, who canceled trips en masse in response to US-Canada political tensions, as well as a decreasing price tolerance among domestic leisure travelers.

But according to Cheryl Smith, Director of Air Service Development at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the new flight was “years in the making” and is poised to be an economic boom for the city. “Over the initial 10-week period, the route is projected to offer 7,552 seats and generate an estimated $16.4 million in economic impact,” she told Matador Network. “We’re grateful to Qantas, the Clark County Department of Aviation, destination stakeholders, and our tourism community for helping make this first-ever service possible.”

However, 2026 has the potential to shift that narrative. The LVCVA reports that it’s planning to host more trade show attendees than in 2025, and is hoping to see a boost from events like the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th celebration. Air France is also launching Paris-to-Las Vegas flights three times per week, beginning April 15, 2026, which could make it easier for yet another group of international visitors to reach Sin City in even less time.