Qantas has pushed back its plan to restart international flights to late-December, after the federal government announced the delay of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout to the Australian population.
The national carrier had previously targeted to resume international services in late-October, after the government said all Australians would be fully vaccinated by then. But that plan has now been upended by a significant delay in the government’s vaccine programme, coupled with recent spikes in Covid-19 cases in countries such as India.
Delays in vaccine rollout in Australia has foiled Qantas’ plan to restart international flights in October
The government is now planning for the larger reopening of Australia’s borders in mid-2022.
Qantas said in a statement on its website that it would push back its planned resumption of international flights from end-October to late-December. However, the airline added that in the meantime, it plans to “take advantage of pockets of tourism and trade opportunity as they emerge”.
Services between Australia and New Zealand operating under the trans-Tasman travel bubble which begun last month will not be affected.
“We remain optimistic that additional bubbles will open once Australia’s vaccine rollout is complete, to countries who, by then, are in a similar position, but it’s difficult to predict which ones at this stage,” the airline said.
Qantas is reaching out to customers who have made bookings for international flights between October 31 and December 19, however, it noted that such bookings were “relatively low” due to “recent levels of uncertainty”.
Qantas has pushed back its plan to restart international flights to late-December, after the federal government announced the delay of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout to the Australian population.
The national carrier had previously targeted to resume international services in late-October, after the government said all Australians would be fully vaccinated by then. But that plan has now been upended by a significant delay in the government’s vaccine programme, coupled with recent spikes in Covid-19 cases in countries such as India.
The government is now planning for the larger reopening of Australia’s borders in mid-2022.
Qantas said in a statement on its website that it would push back its planned resumption of international flights from end-October to late-December. However, the airline added that in the meantime, it plans to “take advantage of pockets of tourism and trade opportunity as they emerge”.
Services between Australia and New Zealand operating under the trans-Tasman travel bubble which begun last month will not be affected.
“We remain optimistic that additional bubbles will open once Australia’s vaccine rollout is complete, to countries who, by then, are in a similar position, but it’s difficult to predict which ones at this stage,” the airline said.
Qantas is reaching out to customers who have made bookings for international flights between October 31 and December 19, however, it noted that such bookings were “relatively low” due to “recent levels of uncertainty”.