Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't actually think state borders need to be reopened before international. The state borders are no longer based on health measures and mostly political. Reopening international borders to States that are open could happen before state borders reopen. Its just the states with closed borders will be unable to participate. It may force state premiers to reconsider their border restrictions.

I hope state borders reopen but I think there needs to be a bigger driver for them to reopen.

I see it the exact opposite! International arriving pax can be quarantined. Once completed they should present no risk to the community.

Opening state borders means you can have asymptomatic folk travelling and starting a cluster... as we saw in regional Victoria last week. It just takes one person to paralyse an entire town, shutting businesses for days, forcing thousands to queue for hours for testing... it makes sense to keep borders closured if states want to.

 

[Sydney BE]

Are you saying that international arrivals would need to quarantine and then would only be able to visit the state they arrived in?I think the problem is that the states with closed borders would need to use quarantine hotels for for interstate travel so they would be unable to receive international arrivals to hotel quarantine.

Unfortunately states need to accept that zero covid cases is not sustainable

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Are you saying that international arrivals would need to quarantine and then would only be able to visit the state they arrived in?I think the problem is that the states with closed borders would need to use quarantine hotels for for interstate travel so they would be unable to receive international arrivals to hotel quarantine.

Unfortunately states need to accept that zero covid cases is not sustainable

I guess that’s one option... you arrive, do your quarantine, then free to travel the state. Of course we saw that didn’t work with the recent NZ arrivals... they just went anywhere!

Community transmission is the big issue... international arrivals makes that so much easier to control.

 

[jakeseven7]

Quite simply the Federal Government doesn't seem to allow international flights to States with 'closed' borders. There will probably be other 'requirements' like hotspot and a few other pieces to ensure State borders don't go back up without Federal Government approval (eg via the hotspot definition, which also is not really workable based on past data). Hopefully the Federal Government will seek proven demonstrated ability for a period of time to keep borders open in the face of bubbling mystery cases in NSW and Vic before considering allowing quarantine-free international flights to the currently 'closed' States. It would just be too embarrassing to have a quarantine-free international flight in mid-flight diverted to another Australian city because a State decided to close State border.

And that’s precisely why they are signing the states up to the hotspot model at the same time they decide they want international flights. 4 states have signed, 2 on the way so not much longer for us all to wait I suspect with so few cases around now.

 

[jakeseven7]

Are you saying that international arrivals would need to quarantine and then would only be able to visit the state they arrived in?I think the problem is that the states with closed borders would need to use quarantine hotels for for interstate travel so they would be unable to receive international arrivals to hotel quarantine.

Unfortunately states need to accept that zero covid cases is not sustainable

They are beginning to accept that - Tasmania has, SA has, NSW has, NT has... They’ve openly come out and said they know by opening up they will inevitably import a community case and they are prepared to deal with it. What else are we going to do...

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

And that’s precisely why they are signing the states up to the hotspot model at the same time they decide they want international flights. 4 states have signed, 2 on the way so not much longer for us all to wait I suspect with so few cases around now.

Notionally signing up won't be enough, I'm afraid. You might need to get all the States to eventually remove the State CHO from the decision making to be able to close borders, and then preferably a demonstrated ability to leave borders open despite the bubbling.

 

[jakeseven7]

Qantas plans new routes to Taiwan, South Korea as US/UK sidelined for at least another year


Qantas chairman Richard Goyder is optimistic the airline will be able to launch new routes to destinations such as Taiwan and South Korea early next year thanks to coronavirus-safe "travel bubbles", while the United States and the UK remain shut off.

But in his opening address at the airline's annual general meeting on Friday, he expressed frustration at Queensland and Western Australia keeping their borders shut to interstate travel even as COVID-19 infection numbers came under control.

"This inertia that doesn’t seem to be based on the actual health risk. And that seems to ignore the broader economic and social risk involved with staying shut – especially as federal income support winds down," Mr Goyder said.

Qantas said on Friday its domestic operations have now recovered to almost 30 per cent of its pre-pandemic network capacity, compared to previous expectations it would have bounced back to 60 per cent by this stage. The carrier said on Friday it thinks it will be back to 50 per cent by Christmas.

Qantas eyes half-full Christmas, market gains over shrinking Virgin

Qantas believes half its domestic fleet will be back in the sky by Christmas and is looking to capture an extra 10 per cent of the local market from Virgin Australia as its new owners pare back its operations.

www.theage.com.au

 

[dajop]

I know I have skin in the game, but Australia should really look at what they're doing with NZ with Taiwan and Singapore. Here in Singapore we're now down to 19 non-imported cases over two weeks (of those 6 in the broader community, 13 in worker dormitories).

As people who've been in Australia (except Victoria) in the last 14 days can return to or visit Singapore (if allowed to leave!) with a negative covid test on arrival., if Australia did the reverse, it could really help the tourist industry in Australia, as there would be no other practical alternatives (without 2 weeks quarantine on return) for Singapore residents, and lots of people are getting island fever!

 

[33kft]

Singapore's interest in trouble bubbles should be self evident. They have an expensive new terminal and an equally expensive new appendage to those terminals to pay for, next to no hub traffic currently and no domestic aviation sector. Sadly it currently offers little to Australians other than convenience for business travelers, since as a destination in its own right there isn't much to it, and as a hub it is effectively non functional as far as Australians are concerned.

Still, it is almost inconceivable that it wouldn't be on the shortlist.

 

[drron]

We don't mind spending time in Singapore and trying the upmarket restaurants plus a little retail therapy for mrsdrron.
Of course we aren't like the majority of Australian tourists.But it would be very attractive for Singaporeans coming in the opposite direction at the moment.You could even have them do their $S180 Covid test prior to boarding-I presume it is one of the rapid tests.

 

[CityRail]

Fresh hope for interstate travel as Australian researchers develop rapid 15-minute COVID test

Scientists believe the prototype could help reignite interstate travel by assisting in the screening of travellers.

7news.com.au

UTS Researchers were able to develop the 15 minute COVID test. I am really hoping that this will be a game changer with the testing regime that we can roll out domestically first followed by our international arrivals from safe countries that we can allow to open faster.

Remember, we only have 5 months left for many businesses who rely on JobKeeper at the moment. In addition, international students are due to arrive Australia in February/March 2021, which is important for the HE sector to survive. I have already heard rumours of cuts to casuals and permanent staff at various institutions, and we desperately need these students to come back so that we can have a job.

 

[dajop]

Sadly it currently offers little to Australians

Whilst it offers little to Australians wanting to travel overseas, it does offer some crumbs to Australians employed in the tourism sector. Whilst it isn't a huge country, it is a captive audience (can't really go anywhere at the moment, it's a bit like Melbourne with it's 25km zone!), and people do like travelling. Would provide more support for the international focussed part of the tourism industry. And it comes without the political baggage of allowing Chinese tourists in or the diplomatic sensitivity of opening a Taiwan travel bubble.

 

[Flashback]

Fresh hope for interstate travel as Australian researchers develop rapid 15-minute COVID test

Scientists believe the prototype could help reignite interstate travel by assisting in the screening of travellers.

7news.com.au

UTS Researchers were able to develop the 15 minute COVID test. I am really hoping that this will be a game changer with the testing regime that we can roll out domestically first followed by our international arrivals from safe countries that we can allow to open faster.

Remember, we only have 5 months left for many businesses who rely on JobKeeper at the moment. In addition, international students are due to arrive Australia in February/March 2021, which is important for the HE sector to survive. I have already heard rumours of cuts to casuals and permanent staff at various institutions, and we desperately need these students to come back so that we can have a job.

Well if the UK is anything to go by, just as you think "JobKeeper" type schemes are over and all done....... it's back with a vengeance. Governments will keep reaching into their pockets for as long as they need, even when they blatantly tell you they won't.

We'll be paying for this for many more years to come (in so many aspects).

 

[antycbr]

Whilst it offers little to Australians wanting to travel overseas, it does offer some crumbs to Australians employed in the tourism sector. Whilst it isn't a huge country, it is a captive audience (can't really go anywhere at the moment, it's a bit like Melbourne with it's 25km zone!), and people do like travelling. Would provide more support for the international focussed part of the tourism industry. And it comes without the political baggage of allowing Chinese tourists in or the diplomatic sensitivity of opening a Taiwan travel bubble.

Also Singaporeans have high incomes and given lack of options would likely spend when here. Corporate Australia also has lots of business ties to Singapore too.

 

[ayushamity]

In addition, international students are due to arrive Australia in February/March 2021, which is important for the HE sector to survive

Thats still 6 months away. So long.... I was hoping maybe Jan

 

[CityRail]

Qantas plans new routes to Taiwan, South Korea as US/UK sidelined for at least another year


Qantas chairman Richard Goyder is optimistic the airline will be able to launch new routes to destinations such as Taiwan and South Korea early next year thanks to coronavirus-safe "travel bubbles", while the United States and the UK remain shut off.

But in his opening address at the airline's annual general meeting on Friday, he expressed frustration at Queensland and Western Australia keeping their borders shut to interstate travel even as COVID-19 infection numbers came under control.

"This inertia that doesn’t seem to be based on the actual health risk. And that seems to ignore the broader economic and social risk involved with staying shut – especially as federal income support winds down," Mr Goyder said.

Qantas said on Friday its domestic operations have now recovered to almost 30 per cent of its pre-pandemic network capacity, compared to previous expectations it would have bounced back to 60 per cent by this stage. The carrier said on Friday it thinks it will be back to 50 per cent by Christmas.

Qantas eyes half-full Christmas, market gains over shrinking Virgin

Qantas believes half its domestic fleet will be back in the sky by Christmas and is looking to capture an extra 10 per cent of the local market from Virgin Australia as its new owners pare back its operations.

www.theage.com.au

I think it will be interesting to the codeshare arrangements pre-COVID as Qantas only codeshare with CI and KE to South Korea and Taiwan.

Perhaps these 2 destinations are best served by Jetstar?

It is already late October and I really hope that Trans-Tasman Bubble can be established both ways by next month so that other countries can follow suit soon.

 

[CityRail]

Thats still 6 months away. So long.... I was hoping maybe Jan

I hope so for January too, considering the quarantine capacity at universities is limited they might need to quarantine different cohorts of students at a time so that majority of international students will arrive on time by March when university semester resumes.

Anyways, I welcome today that Scott Morrison is investigating different quarantine measures for countries of different risk, I think in the short term this will bring a difference to our quarantine capacity which may allow international students and TRs return in a controlled manner.

 

[dajop]

Also Singaporeans have high incomes and given lack of options would likely spend when here.

If you look at booking.com for this Saturday night, on Sentosa (Singapore's touristy-island), 13 of the 17 hotels have no rooms available, and the remaining four are priced at $700, $1200, $2100 and $4000 respectively (+ 7% GST and 10% service charge) For one night. Although next weekend there is a hotel available for $370++, there rest are booked out or also highly priced!

 

[ayushamity]

Anyways, I welcome today that Scott Morrison is investigating different quarantine measures for countries of different risk,

I am actually a bit let down - Todays presser gave the impression of just thinking to satisfy the public with any actual decisions maybe being made in a few months. Just talk and no action

 

[CityRail]

I am actually a bit let down - Todays presser gave the impression of just thinking to satisfy the public with any actual decisions maybe being made in a few months. Just talk and no action

That's true, but mind you that the national cabinet is a high level meeting, which I think it is flagging to the public that the government is working behind the scenes for various initiatives happening in the meantime to push the economy back on track safety.

The national cabinet now meeting monthly (which the next one is scheduled on 13 Nov) is possibly a catch up and agreement on some of the key aspects which the Federal Government will work with states one by one through different initiatives. The quarantine facility in the NT is one of them.