Qantas says US, UK flights unlikely for another year
Qantas’ long haul routes to the UK and US look to be on the backburner for at least another year.
Only the availability of a vaccine will likely see Qantas’ key long haul routes restart.
"For some of our big destinations like the United States and the UK, it’s going to need a vaccine given the high prevalence of the virus in both of those locations," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said at the company’s AGM.
"It’s going to take some time to recover international travel back."
While it waits for progress on a vaccine, the airline is looking for options to open flights to low risk destinations across Asia Pacific.
Joyce cited South Korea, parts of Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
A one-way quarantine-free travel bubble with New Zealand recently began for New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Qantas says the domestic market is slowly gaining momentum but is still only at about 30% of normal levels.
"We’re expecting to see a boom in domestic tourism once more borders open up," Joyce said, adding that the airline has lost about A$100 million ($71 million) in the first quarter of the new fiscal year due to closed state borders.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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