Qantas Is Launching Direct Flights From Australia to Sapporo So You Can Get to Japan's Snowfields Quicker
The new route flies out of Sydney and will launch this coming December, ready for the 2025–26 snow season.
Spend less time in the air and more on the snow: that's the thinking behind the new route that Qantas is launching at the end of 2025. When winter arrives in Japan, travellers flock in to hit their skis and snowboards, with the island of Hokkaido a popular destination. To get visitors there faster, the airline will start flying direct from Australia to Sapporo.
From Monday, December 15, 2025, Qantas flights will run non-stop from Sydney to Sapporo, providing the only direct service between the two cities. Of course, this means that Aussies elsewhere at home will need to get to the Harbour City first, but the leg from Sydney will shorten travel time.
Qantas advises that the route, which will fly seasonally — its first season will last until Saturday, March 28, 2026 — will cut several hours off the usual duration to get to Japan's northernmost island. Travelling there, you'll leave Sydney in the morning and arrive at Sapporo's New Chitose Airport by early evening. Coming home, you can enjoy the snow in the morning, then depart at night.
When it kicks off just in time for the peak of the 2025–26 snow season, the new journey will fly three times a week on an Airbus A330-200 aircraft. In total, over 20,000 seats will be on offer across the three-and-a-half months.
This is all great news if you're keen for a getaway at the Niseko, Furano, Rusutsu and Kiroro ski resorts; to hit the hot springs in Noboribetsu and Jozankei; and to attend the Sapporo Snow Festival.
When the Sydney–Sapporo leg takes to the skies, Qantas will boast four direct-to-Japan routes, alongside its Tokyo services from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — from Sydney–Haneda and Melbourne and Brisbane to Narita.
And no, it's not too early to start planning your end-of-year — or beginning of 2026 — getaway.
Qantas' Sydney–Sapporo route will launch on Monday, December 15, 2025 and run seasonally, with the first season flying until Saturday, March 28, 2026. Head to the Qantas website for more details.
