Qatar Airways has confirmed the resumption of its service connecting Doha to Canberra via Melbourne, effective December 8, 2026, operating a Boeing 777-300ER four times a week.
A highly anticipated return to the Australian capital:
Qatar Airways has been serving Canberra since 2018, initially via Sydney Airport, until the route was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When service resumed, Melbourne replaced Sydney as the stopover point.
A regulatory constraint:
Qatar’s national airline cannot operate more than 28 weekly flights to Australia’s four major airports, a quota that has already been reached. Flying via Canberra therefore effectively increases access to the Melbourne market.
The airline had to suspend service to Canberra again in March 2026 due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Is this a seasonal route?
Absolutely. While the route was previously operated daily, it will resume with only four weekly flights; daily service is not expected to return until March 2027, which is the start of the summer aviation season in the Northern Hemisphere. The service is therefore part of Qatar Airways’ winter schedule, with reduced frequency during the winter and a return to daily service starting in spring 2027.
Flight Schedule:
According to AeroRoutes, flights between Doha and Canberra are scheduled as follows:
Flight QR988 (operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays): Departs DOH at 8:25 a.m. – arrives at MEL at 5:55 a.m. (Day 1+), departs MEL at 7:25 a.m. (Day 1+) – arrives at CBR at 8:30 a.m. (Day 1+).
Flight QR989 (operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays): Departs CBR at 12:30 p.m. – arrives at MEL at 1:45 p.m., departs MEL at 4:10 p.m. – arrives at DOH at 10:25 p.m.
The round-trip service between Melbourne and Canberra is operated on the same day, allowing Qatar Airways to connect the Australian capital to Doha via a single stopover in Melbourne in each direction.
Please note: The aircraft used is a three-class Boeing 777-300ER (without a first-class cabin), with 354 seats, and it is not possible to purchase a ticket solely for direct travel from Melbourne to Canberra; the service is designed primarily for connectivity via Doha-Hamad.
Qatar Airways expands its services in Australia:
With the addition of Canberra, Qatar Airways’ Oceania network for the 2026/2027 winter season includes six distinct routes, all operated by Boeing 777-300ERs:
Doha – Adelaide – Auckland (1 daily flight)
Doha – Brisbane (1 daily flight)
Doha – Melbourne (1 daily flight)
Doha – Melbourne – Canberra (4 weekly flights)
Doha – Perth (1 daily flight)
Doha – Sydney (1 daily flight)
With this new addition, the airline now operates six separate routes across Australia and New Zealand for the season, with Melbourne serving as a connecting point for service to the capital. In total, this network covers seven destinations: Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth and Sydney.