Qantas Freight will launch a seasonal non-stop service from Darwin to Hong Kong in late August 2018.

According to the carrier, the new flight will be operated once a week with a Boeing 767-300F and will support producers in Northern Australia responding to growing demand from Asia.

The new service will be the only direct cargo link between the Northern Territory and Hong Kong. It will offer up to 50 tonnes of capacity for fresh produce such as chilled meat, seafood, dairy, fruit and vegetables, as well as general cargo.

“Producers throughout the Northern Territory often find themselves transporting large volumes of perishables via road to the east coast to meet a cargo connection to Asia,” said Nick McGlynn, chief operating officer of Qantas Freight. “This process can take up to five days, which reduces the shelf life of the product when it arrives at its destination. Our direct service is a great alternative for freight customers in and around Darwin. It also shows Qantas’s commitment to providing vital connectivity to Northern Australia. We’d like to acknowledge the support of Darwin Airport in launching this new freight service, in collaboration with the Northern Territory government.”

Qantas currently carries freight to over 20 destinations in Asia, including locations in China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The schedule for the new flight is as follows.