QANTAS has announced changes that will increase existing services to Los Angeles and South Africa as well as add a South American destination to its network.

Changes will include an additional return service between Sydney and Shanghai from August, taking the total number of flights to five a week as well as two more Brisbane-Los Angeles services each week from March 2008.



There will be an additional Sydney-Los Angeles service each week from March 2008, and the start of a South American service from November 2008 and an additional weekly flight between Sydney and Johannesburg from November 2008.



Qantas sales chief Rob Gurney said the schedule changes were a signal of Qantas' commitment to Australian tourism.



"China is an important and growing aviation market and Qantas has been concentrating on growth opportunities on its China routes since we recommenced operations there in 2004. From August, we will offer eight return services a week from Sydney to China - five to Shanghai and three to Beijing," he said.



"We will be looking at further opportunities to expand our presence in China - for example, we will be offering supplementary services to Beijing to coincide with the 2008 Olympics."



The new international schedule would include three extra return services per week from Los Angeles to Australia - two into Brisbane and one into Sydney from March 2008. The two extra Brisbane-Los Angeles services will see Qantas offer a daily operation between the two cities."