Qantas Resumes International Flights, and Commenced New Routes

One of the main sectors that COVID-19 affects dearly is aviation. Owing to lockdowns and lower demands, some airlines, such as Qantas, had to shut down international travel.

After a long period without any international flights, major Australian airline, Qantas set off for their first international flight in 600 days. At the crack of dawn on 1st November 2021, QF12 touched down in Sydney after a long 15 and a half hour flight. The aircraft operating the route was VH-ZND, a 3.7-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, delivered in February 2018.

Following that, the first departure internationally was QF1, from Sydney to London via Darwin, which departed at 6.30 p.m. The flight was operated by VH-ZNI, a 2.1-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, delivered in October 2019.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: " This day has been a long time coming for our people and our customers. It’s wonderful to see Australians able to reunite with loved ones after such a long time apart.

"It’s been very challenging time for our international crew, with many of them stood down since March 2020. We are in the process of standing up our Australian-based team members who are excited to get back to doing what they love.

" We are back in the air earlier than anticipated thanks to the millions of people who turned out in droves to get vaccinated. This made it possible for the Federal, and NSW and Victorian governments to open up Australia’s borders and remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

"International travel may be a little different for a while with some new requirements and guidelines in place, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Qantas’ commitments to safety and premium service. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome everyone back on board."

Image: © Qantas

In other news, Qantas also launched first flights between Brisbane and Launcheston, making it the airline' eighth new Tasmanian route launched since the start of the pandemic. The new route will be operated by QantasLink''s Boeing 717 aircraft, increasing connectivity between the two cities.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new route would open up more options for travellers looking to book their next holiday.

" Tasmania has become increasingly popular with travellers over the past year, and we’re really pleased to be making it even easier for Queenslanders to visit,” said Mr Gissing.

" More visitors will be great news for the Tasmanian economy this summer. These flights will also provide Launceston residents with more options to visit the Sunshine State, with connections from Brisbane across our expansive Queensland network.

"We’ll be closely monitoring demand and if it proves successful we will look to extend the route beyond March.

"Customers will be able to earn and use points on these new flights and enjoy our premium service, whether its complimentary food and drinks, baggage or access to our lounges in Brisbane or Launceston prior to departure."

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Image: © Qantas

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