Qantas will operate its Perth–Rome nonstop service for a fifth consecutive year, but the 2026 season comes with a significant capacity boost. The airline has confirmed it will extend the operating season from May to October 2026 and increase frequency to four weekly flights during the peak European summer.
Table of Contents
- Qantas Confirms Perth to Rome Fiumicino QF5 Flights for 2026
- A Longer Season and More Flights for 2026
- Flight Timings and Aircraft
- About Qantas’ Return to Rome
- My Emotional Childhood Tie to Qantas’ Rome Flights
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Qantas Confirms Perth to Rome Fiumicino QF5 Flights for 2026
The route, which is one of two nonstop links between Australia and Continental Europe, has proven popular enough for Qantas to add over 40 additional flights compared to the previous schedule.
Prices, as of now, looking at traveling from Rome to Perth and back are quite competitive. I came across some fares as low as 2,000 AUD (or 1,000 Euro).
A Longer Season and More Flights for 2026
For 2026, Qantas is abandoning the “mid-June” start date of previous years. The service will now launch on May 3, 2026, and run through October 23, 2026. This 8-week extension is designed to capture the “shoulder season” demand in late spring and early autumn.
The frequency will also see a bump. While the route has historically operated three times per week, Qantas will increase this to four weekly flights during the peak travel window (late June to late September).
| Dates | Frequency | Operating Days |
|---|---|---|
| 3 May – 26 June | 3x Weekly | Tue, Thu, Sun |
| 27 June – 26 September | 4x Weekly | Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun |
| 27 September – 23 October | 3x Weekly | Tue, Thu, Sun |
Flight Timings and Aircraft
The schedule remains consistent with previous years, optimized for evening departures from Australia and morning arrivals in Europe.
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | Flight Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QF5 | Perth | PER | 19:35 | Rome Fiumicino | FCO | 06:00+1 | 16h 25min |
| QF6 | Rome Fiumicino | FCO | 11:00 | Perth | PER | 08:45+1 | 15h 45min |
The service will continue to be operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft features Qantas’ standard long-haul configuration:
- 42 Business Class seats (1-2-1 Vantage XL).
- 28 Premium Economy seats (2-3-2).
- 166 Economy seats (3-3-3).
About Qantas’ Return to Rome
The early 2000s saw Qantas withdraw from many of its European sectors. The rising costs of fuel and the fierce competition from Middle Eastern carriers were too much for the Australian airline to take on.
The issue for Qantas on routes to Europe has never been demand. The country has huge expat communities and a large chunk of the population of European descent. Also, Australia is seen as a major tourist destination by many Europeans.
The issue has always been the excessive costs of making a stop in a foreign country somewhere along the way. In the early 2000s the airport of choice was Singapore, later Dubai.
However, with highly fuel-efficient planes now available, the airline can avoid making a stopover in foreign airports by using Perth as a long haul gateway to Europe.
When Project Sunrise flights become reality Qantas will be able to avoid having to make technical stopovers all together. Project Sunrise will unlock the possibility of flying non-stop from Australia’s east coast to Europe.
My Emotional Childhood Tie to Qantas’ Rome Flights
I was about to turn 13 the last time that I flew on a Qantas flight departing Rome Fiumicino. It was December 2002 and shortly thereafter the Australian airline would have announced the closure of most of its European destinations.
I flew from Rome to Singapore, then onwards to Sydney, on a majestic Boeing 747-400ER, lucky enough to be bumped up to business class on the upper deck.
Throughout my childhood I regularly flew between Rome and Australia, having family down under. Because of this I have a strong emotional connection to Qantas and its Rome flights.