Qantas says its return to international travel was on track for this year, with Aussies likely to fly to key overseas destinations in months.
Qantas expects to resume international travel by Christmas, with Singapore, the United States, Japan, United Kingdom and Canada among the first overseas destinations it will fly to.
The national airline said its overseas flights plan was linked to the reopening of international borders in line with Australia’s vaccine rollout, which was projected to reach 80 per cent in December.
Qantas made the announcement today as it reported a staggering $2.3 billion loss before tax as border closures and travel restrictions continued to wreak havoc on the aviation industry.
Under the plan outlined today, destinations with high vaccination rates and low Covid risk, such as the UK, North America and parts of Asia, would be Qantas’ first priority for international travel, with current projections for mid- December 2021 “in reach”.
However, flights to riskier destinations with low levels of vaccination, such as Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg, will be pushed out to at least April 2022.
“The prospect of flying overseas might feel a long way off, especially with New South Wales and Victoria in lockdown, but the current pace of the vaccine rollout means we should have a lot more freedom in a few months’ time,” Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce said.
“It’s obviously up to government exactly how and when our international borders re-open, but with Australia on track to meet the 80 per cent trigger agreed by national cabinet by the end of the year, we need to plan ahead for what is a complex restart process.
“We can adjust our plans if the circumstances change, which we’ve already had to do several times during this pandemic. Some people might say we’re being too optimistic, but based on the pace of the vaccine rollout, this is within reach and we want to make sure we’re…