Helsinki, Papeete, Istanbul: the new departures on Australia’s board
The international routes still to launch before the year is out, and the ones that already have.
Finnair begins flying between Melbourne and Helsinki in October, giving Victorians a Nordic gateway to Europe. Air Tahiti Nui follows on 14 December with Sydney–Papeete, and Turkish Airlines plans nonstop Sydney–Istanbul services late in the year.
Several routes have already launched in 2026. Jetstar opened Melbourne–Colombo in August; Qantas added Gold Coast–Auckland in June; and China Eastern began Adelaide–Shanghai on 21 June.
For the Southern Ocean crowd, the seasonal Queenstown links from Brisbane with Air New Zealand run until 23 October.
As always, schedules change. Check directly with each carrier before you plan around a date.
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