VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Cancels direct flights between Adelaide and Darwin.

The three-times-per-week Adelaide and Darwin route was scheduled to restart operations on 22 June this year. This was for the Top End’s popular winter tourism season. A Virgin Australia spokesperson confirmed the route was ‘indefinitely suspended’.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is naturally outraged. In an interview with ABC Radio, she described the decision as “awful and unbelievable.”

Virgin defends decision to cancel Adelaide and Darwin route

Virgin says it’s raising the capacity to Darwin.

Defending the decision, a Virgin Australia spokesperson argued that their forecasting showed low demand. Cancelling the route would allow aircraft to be redeployed. This would add more flights between Darwin and eastern state capitals.

Specifically, that means adding flights from Brisbane and Melbourne. Virgin argued this would increase seat capacity through Darwin by 9% compared to June to August 2024.

Virgin Australia maintains direct flights scheduled between Melbourne and Darwin.

Qantas responds

Rival airline Qantas is maintaining its Adelaide and Darwin flights, crewed and flown by Alliance Airlines. It’s also increasing its flights to Darwin, introducing flights between Darwin and Singapore, and joining Darwin with Canberra. Once Virgin pulls out of the route, Qantas will be the only domestic airline that flies directly to Darwin from Sydney.

The Canberra flights will run between June and October, the NT’s peak tourist season.

Singapore/Darwin flights commence on 30 March 2025.

Air Asia is renewing flights between Darwin and Bali, which were suspended due to ongoing runway works at the Darwin Airport.

2PAXfly Takeout

Given its remoteness from most of Australia, Darwin really does rely on air services. Flights are expensive because of the lack of competition, and politicians argue this holds back the development of the northern capital city.

If you have never been to the Top End and visited places like Kakadu National Park, then you are missing out. Darwin offers an extraordinary landscape, Indigenous culture, and, well, a different experience than the rest of Australia.