16 Jul 2021 Qantas is launching direct flights from Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast for the first time in seven years. From 17 September 2021, QantasLink will operate up to seven weekly return flights between Whitsunday Coast Airport (WCA) and Brisbane with its 74-seat Q400 turboprop aircraft, adding more than 1,000 seats on the route each week. The new service will complement Jetstar flights to the Whitsunday Coast from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Between Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar, the group has now launched more than 45 new routes since international borders closed, around half of which are into Queensland. Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Andrew Willcox said it had been a dream of his to lure the flying kangaroo back to WCA and offer more choice for the corporate and premium leisure market.