Qantas customers will continue to be able to fly between Sydney and Lord Howe Island for years to come as part of an agreement with regional airline Skytrans.
With the national carrier retiring the Q200 aircraft it currently operates on the route, Skytrans has been awarded the licence to fly to the island by the New South Wales Government exclusively from 26 February 2026.
QantasLink and Skytrans are finalising a codeshare agreement that will commence when Skytrans starts operating these flights. This will mean locals and tourists will continue to be able to book the Lord Howe Island flights on Qantas.com, with frequent flyers earning Status Credits and Qantas Points and having access to lounges in Sydney.
The Lord Howe Island Skytrans flights will continue to operate the same schedule and frequency as QantasLink’s operations, and it intends to operate these from Qantas’ Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport. There will be no impact to existing bookings.
The 36-seat Q200 is the only aircraft in QantasLink’s fleet that is able to operate to Lord Howe Island because of the island’s runway length and is being phased out as part of a major investment in the turboprop fleet to better serve regional Australia.
QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said “We have a long and proud history with Lord Howe Island and are pleased to be partnering with Skytrans to make sure the island continues to have a reliable air service as the Q200s are phased out of the QantasLink fleet.”
Skytrans CEO Alan Milne said “Skytrans is honoured to be able to continue this essential air service and looks forward to working closely with the Lord Howe Island community to ensure a safe, reliable and customer focused operation continues.”
Skytrans has been awarded the licence to operate the regulated route to Lord Howe Island until March 2030.