Qantas
(ASX:QAN) and Jetstar are set to bring forward the restart of more international flights from Sydney, including to Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg, as NSW prepares to reopen for international travel from November 1.
The faster ramp up follows the NSW government decision to reopen borders and remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals. The reopening of borders means that 11,000 Qantas and Jetstar workers, who remain stood down, will be back to work in early December.
“This is the best news we’ve had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again,” said CEO Alan Joyce.
Qantas had flights from Sydney to New York and London scheduled from November 1, and this morning said it would launch flights from Sydney to Singapore from November 23 (four weeks earlier), Sydney to Fiji from December 7 (previously December 19), Sydney to Johannesburg from January 5 (three months earlier), Sydney to Bangkok from January 14 (more than two months earlier) and Sydney to Phuket from January 12 (more than two months earlier).
Qantas also said it would launch flights from Sydney to Delhi from December 6, the first time the airline has flown to the Indian capital in almost a decade. Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December, with other destinations to restart in the new year.
“We know that Australians are keen to get overseas and see friends and family or have a long awaited holiday, so bringing forward the restart of flights to these popular international destinations will give customers even more options to travel this summer."
“In recent weeks, sales on international flights to and from Sydney have outstripped sales on domestic flights, which shows how important certainty is to people when making travel plans."
Qantas and Jetstar are preparing to ramp up capacity between Melbourne and Sydney as quarantine-free travel is set to resume between Australia’s two largest cities. When the Victorian and NSW borders open, Qantas and Jetstar will operate up to 18 return flights per day, increasing to up to 37 return flights per day by Christmas
“We hope that as vaccination rates in other states and territories increase, we’ll be able to restart more international flights out of their capital cities. In the meantime, Sydney is our gateway to the rest of the world.
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(ASX:QAN) are trading 2.4 per cent higher at $5.83.
