Qantas Extends Brisbane–Palau Flights to 2027

If Palau isn’t yet on your holiday radar, it probably should be.

Scattered across the western Pacific, east of the Philippines and north of Papua New Guinea, the tiny island nation of Palau is one of those remarkable destinations many Australians would struggle to place on a map. Yet from Brisbane, it’s now around six hours away on a direct Qantas flight.

Made up of more than 300 islands, Palau is best known for what lies above and beneath its extraordinarily clear tropical waters. Its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is a maze of forest-covered limestone islands, reefs, lagoons and marine habitats, while the wider archipelago has established an international reputation for diving, snorkelling and marine conservation.

It’s also a destination where tourism and environmental protection are closely intertwined. Rather than chasing mass tourism, Palau has increasingly positioned its extraordinary marine environment and relatively small visitor numbers as part of the attraction.

You may have spotted Palau in the television news recently for another reason. The country hosted the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Koror, bringing leaders from Australia and across the Pacific together in early September. The gathering placed this otherwise little-known island nation briefly in the Australian media spotlight.

But perhaps the more interesting story for Australian travellers is what’s happening in the air.

The direct Brisbane–Koror service, known as the Palau Paradise Express, began in 2024 and is supported by the Australian and Palauan governments as a means of improving connectivity, tourism and trade across the Pacific. Qantas subsequently took over operation of the route in December 2024.

And Australians appear to be discovering it quickly.

More than 15,400 passengers have used the service since it began, with passenger traffic from Australia and Oceania now four times pre-COVID levels. In 2025 alone, the service was estimated to have contributed $10 million to Palau’s economy, while total visitor expenditure increased 26 per cent.

That growth has prompted Qantas and the Australian Government to extend direct Brisbane–Koror flights through to November 2027, with services increasing to twice weekly during Palau’s peak season from December 2026.

For Australians accustomed to looking towards Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia or Hawaii for a Pacific island escape, Palau presents something considerably less familiar: a remote Micronesian archipelago with spectacular marine environments, comparatively modest visitor numbers and, crucially, no longer an awkward journey to reach.

Sometimes a new international route simply adds another flight to the timetable. Occasionally, it puts an entirely new holiday destination within practical reach.

Palau looks very much like the latter.