Australian companies (including DMG) will be shocked to hear that Qantas is saying goodbye to SFO and will dump its Australia-San Francisco flights in favour of new direct flights to Dallas/Forth Worth, from 16 May 2011.
Access to the powerful clean tech, tech, biotech and financial/VC corridor in the San Francisco Bay Area will now be via LAX, Dallas or a direct USA carrier.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the change is part of Qantas’ strategy to strengthen its relationship with American Airlines: “Dallas/Fort Worth, in Texas, is American Airlines largest hub airport. The Dallas/Fort Worth service would provide Qantas with access to American Airlines regional network, meaning it could offer codeshare services to another 13 destinations in the US and three in Mexico.
Qantas said it would operate four times a week direct from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth starting May 16, using a three-class Boeing 747. The return leg will fly through Brisbane. Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, in Texas, is the eighth busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic figures from 2009. It was American Airlines’ largest hub city, Qantas said.”
