Australia spent much of 2021 under the global microscope for the government’s approach to curbing the spread of COVID-19. Shutting down the borders, mask mandates, and vaccine mandates were widespread across the globe. However, Australia received a large amount of criticism from those disagreeing with pandemic-induced restrictions. With the announcement that Australia is reopening its borders to international visitors, hope of returning to a former normal grows. Qantas burgeons that hope with the return of routes heading down under.
Qantas Routes to Australia Returning
Like many places worldwide, Australia’s aviation and tourism sectors have been among the industries most impacted by COVID-19. Oceania’s largest country has remained mostly closed to international travelers since March 2020. Tourism Research Australia estimated $72 billion in international and domestic tourism losses. So, with the borders reopening on February 21 to vaccinated international travelers, Australia’s carriers are ready to jump back in. Andrew David, CEO of Qantas, commented on the announcement. “Bookings are strongest out of the U.S. and U.K., and we’ve also seen spikes from South Africa, India, and Canada, with March, April, and May the most popular months for travel. This shows how much people want to come to Australia,”
The six most popular international routes start the reopen on February 16, the first route being from Sydney to Dallas. March 27 will see three routes reopen. The first slated is Brisbane to Singapore. The second is Sydney to Manilla. And Finally, the third is Sydney to Jakarta. The very next day sees the route from Sydney to Bali reappear on the schedule. Then Brisbane to Los Angeles reopens on April Fool’s Day.
In addition to these reopenings, Qantas announced a new domestic route from Sydney to Broken Hill. After the rough time Australian citizens had over the last year, many are ready for an outback getaway. Qantas is one of many airlines ready to oblige.
