The Qantas Group has released more information on its preparations for resuming international flights, including plans to coincide with the vaccine deployment in Australia and major foreign markets.
Australia is projected to meet the National Cabinet’s ‘Phase C’ vaccination threshold of 80% in December 2021, triggering the progressive reopening of foreign borders.
Similarly, important markets such as the United Kingdom, North America, and portions of Asia have high and rising vaccination rates. This increases the likelihood that they will be classified as low-risk nations for vaccinated travelers to visit and return from under reduced quarantine procedures, pending Australian Government decisions and other countries’ admission rules.
This opens up a range of new travel possibilities for which Qantas and Jetstar are already planning. While COVID has shown that conditions can change suddenly, the Group must make some fair assumptions based on the most recent data to ensure it can offer flights to consumers as soon as they become viable.
Flights to countries with poor vaccination rates and high levels of COVID infection – including Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, and Johannesburg – will now be delayed until December 2021. Travel demand – and hence capacity – will be primarily determined by government choices about alternatives to enforced hotel isolation for fully vaccinated travelers.
Assuming current predictions are accurate and the vaccination threshold of 80% is reached in December, Qantas and Jetstar intend to initiate a phased restart in the manner indicated below. If those assumptions or dates change, the restart plans will be adjusted appropriately.
SYNOPSIS OF INTERNATIONAL RESTART ACTIVITIES
- Flights would begin in mid-December 2021 from Australia to COVID-safe locations, including Singapore, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada, utilizing Boeing 787s and Airbus A330s, as well as 737s and A320s for services to Fiji.
- Flights between Australia and New Zealand will be available for purchase beginning in mid-December 2021, assuming that some or all segments of the two-way bubble reopen.
- Qantas’ non-stop service between Australia and London is anticipated to be even more in demand following COVID. The airline is considering utilizing Darwin as a transit point, which has historically been Qantas’ primary entrance point for repatriation flights, as an alternative to (or in addition to) its present Perth hub, given Western Australia’s conservative border regulations. This option is still being discussed.
- Five A380s will be reintroduced to service earlier than expected. These flights would begin in July 2022 between Sydney and Los Angeles, and in November 2022 between Sydney and London (via Singapore). When demand is adequate for these long-haul routes, the A380s perform effectively, as seen by the high immunization rates in both markets.
- Qantas will increase the range of its A330-200 aircraft to enable the airline to perform several trans-Pacific routes, including Brisbane-Los Angeles and Brisbane-San Francisco. This requires certain technical modifications, which are now being finalized with Airbus.
- Flights to Hong Kong will resume in February, and the remainder of Qantas and Jetstar’s international network will begin operating in April 2022, with capacity steadily rising.
- Qantas will take possession of three 787-9s (new aircraft that had been in storage with Boeing) in FY23 to support increased demand in key markets.
- Jetstar will receive delivery of its first three Airbus A321neo LR aircraft in early FY23, with the increased range allowing for the redeployment of some of its 787s.
Ten Qantas A380s with improved interiors are scheduled to return to service by early 2024, depending on the market’s recovery pace. Two A380s will be decommissioned.
International travel readiness is being bolstered by ongoing repatriation and charter flights on A330s and 787s, as well as special assistance from the Australian Government for crew training and engineering work to bring idle aircraft back into service.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce stated in a statement accompanying the national carrier’s full-year results: “While the prospect of flying overseas may seem remote at the moment, especially with New South Wales and Victoria in lockdown, the current pace of vaccine rollout means we should have a lot more freedom in a few months.”
“While it is clearly up to the government to determine how and when our international borders reopen, with Australia on course to achieve the 80% trigger agreed to by National Cabinet by the end of the year, we must prepare ahead for what will be a lengthy restart process.
“There is a great deal of work to be done, including educating our personnel and cautiously reintroducing aircraft into service. Additionally, we’re integrating the IATA travel permit into our systems to assist consumers in proving their vaccination status and crossing borders.
“We may alter our preparations as circumstances dictate, as we have done numerous times before throughout this epidemic. Some may argue that we are being overly optimistic, but given the rate of the vaccine deployment, this is well within reach, and we want to be prepared,” Mr. Joyce continued.
Qantas recently expanded its Fly Flexible policy, allowing customers who book overseas flights before 28 February 2022 to make an unlimited number of ‘fee-free’ date adjustments by 31 December 2022. (There may be a fare variation).
Qantas has also extended the validity of credit vouchers issued for bookings made on or before 30 September 2021 to 31 December 2023. Jetstar customers who have been granted a voucher as a result of the COVID-19 delays can use it to book flights until at least 31 December 2022, for travel until the end of 2023.
International flights continue to be subject to permission by the government and regulatory authorities.
PLAN FOR THE REOPENING OF THE NATIONAL CABINET ‘PHASE C’
- When the vaccination rate among eligible Australians hits 80%
- Only highly targeted lockdowns
- There are no restrictions on the repatriation of vaccinated Australians.
- Remove all limitations on outward travel for Australians who have been vaccinated.
- Increase the size of the travel bubble to allow for unfettered travel to new candidate nations
- Gradual resumption of international travel, including inbound and outbound, with safe nations and appropriate quarantine, as well as lowered restrictions for fully vaccinated inbound travelers