Qantas to Resume UK Flights in December

As part of a return of selected foreign services, Qantas plans to resume flights to the United Kingdom in mid-December.

As a result of the Covid problem, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce unveiled the new plans as the company reported a ‘substantial’ full-year loss before tax of AU$2.35 billion (£1.2 billion).

He also stated that the company is requiring all staff to be vaccinated – “something that around 80% of them have already done on their own.”

He also stated that the company is “investing heavily to recognize customers who get the vaccine” by awarding frequent flyer miles, status credits, and trip discounts.

“It’s vital to get more people vaccinated so Australia can open up and get our planes and people back in the air,” he added.

“At the current rate of vaccine distribution, all Australian states are on course to meet the 80% objective by December — the trigger for cautiously opening up to some parts of the world.”

He expects flights to nations with high immunization rates to restart from mid-December 2021 onwards, pending final decisions by the government in the months ahead. These countries include the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, the United States, and “hopefully” New Zealand.

Flights to places with lower vaccination rates, including as Bali, Jakarta, Manila, and Johannesburg, will resume at the earliest in April 2022.

The quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travelers entering Australia, he said, are “one of the biggest unknowns.”

“If you stay in a hotel for 14 days, demand will be quite low. “A shorter period with more testing and the ability to isolate at home will encourage a lot more people to travel,” Joyce predicted.

The airline will reintroduce five A380s to service a year ahead of schedule, beginning in mid-2022, to travel to the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to the results announcement, the company is off to a “strong start” in FY22. “fundamentally better position to deal with uncertainty and manage its recovery compared with 12 months ago”.