Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) will indefinitely suspend its direct Alice Springs-Melbourne service and scale back Darwin-Singapore flights to operate only during peak travel periods, citing weak demand and rising operating costs, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported late Thursday, citing domestic Chief Executive Markus Svensson.

Svensson said the discounted fares and a fuel-efficient aircraft failed to lift passenger numbers on the Alice Springs route, ABC reported. The report quoted Bruce Dale, an aviation analyst, as saying that the said aircraft is the Airbus A220.

The airline will instead add a Saturday Alice Springs-Sydney service, making the route a daily operation, per the report.

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