Australian airlines to resume domestic flights as restrictions ease

Canberra, June 4 (IANS) Australian flag carrier Qantas and its low-cost budget airline Jetstar were resuming domestic and regional flights in June and July as travel restrictions have started to ease across the country.

Qantas announced on Thursday that more than 300 return flights would be back in operation by the end of June, an increase of 10 per cent of pre-coronavirus levels, reports Xinhua news agency.

Additional flights will likely to operate during July depending on the travel demand and further relaxation of state borders.

To ensure a safe environment at airports and onboard aircraft, Qantas and Jetstar will have a range of measures in place from June 12, including contact-less check-in, enhanced cleaning, as well as free masks and sanitising wipes for all passengers.

“The 1 million people who work in tourism around Australia have been really hurting over the past few months,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.

“These additional flights are an important first step to help get more people out into communities that rely on tourism and bring a much-needed boost to local businesses.”

Qantas cut down 20,000 staff in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As flight capacity increases, both airlines will need more employees to support these services, but the majority of the group’s employees will remain unemployed.

–IANS

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