SYDNEY, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national carrier Qantas on Thursday launched a weekly direct route from Sydney to Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa in a bid to expand its Pacific Islands' network.

Qantas will initially operate one flight every Thursday from Sydney to Nuku'alofa's main airport, Fua'amotu International Airport. The four and a half-hour flights will be the only direct services between Australia and Tonga.

The inclusion of Tonga to the airline's international network followed the recent commitment of weekly services to Samoa, as Qantas is growing its presence in the South Pacific Islands during recent holiday travel seasons.

"Since the opening of Australia's border, we have seen strong demand across our Qantas-operated South Pacific services. In fact, Fiji is 50 percent higher than pre-COVID demand, Noumea is 13 percent higher and flights to Samoa are performing ahead of expectations," said a spokesperson from Qantas.

"These flights will help Australian-based South Pacific Islanders visit family and friends back home, as well as providing travel hungry Australians a choice of Pacific neighbours to explore." Enditem

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