Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[Pushka]

Given that Qantas stopped all International passenger flights the day after the Federal Govt stopped paying for them - signals what is driving our 'National Carrier'. Remember AJ gave Australians overseas no warning that this was about to happen, no opportunity to come back earlier.

Just like with his grounding of Qantas in 2014 - it seems Australians are not his priority.

It seems that we need to be focusing more on the only dependable carrier into Australia - Qatar Airlines is the only one who has been servicing multiple Australian cities continuously. United has been 'flying the flag' on a much reduced basis through to the US, and SIA has provided some access most of the time.

With the per flight restrictions now making it hard for those International airlines to break-even (30 passengers max load for 14+ hour flight) perhaps the question needs to be more:

"When will international travel to/from Australia CEASE entirely?"

As there are no sporting tournaments in the northern hemisphere to attract our politicians & senior bureaucrats to conduct 'Northern Summer' fact finding tours - do the politicians even care?

The Federal Govt has painted itself into a corner with the refusal to help VA. AJ in his 'The Govt has no place in bailing out badly run airlines' looks as if he be 'hoist on his own petard'.

The fact that he cancelled all international flights without notice makes Q open to be sued in a class action for all flights it cancelled going to or from the US.

Fun times ahead indeed - but not for international travel - just the lawyers!

Qatar contining to fly throughout the pandemic into Australia was exactly the reason our son chose them to fly to the UK. And while they are superior to Qantas as far as Adelaide is concerned, this will also add to the reason why Qatar are our preferred airline when one day we can travel overseas again.

 

[drron]

So i go back to the original answer to your question. Covid gets the attention because there is no vaccine... no choice we can make to ‘save’ ourselves or not. With covid we are at the mercy of all those around us.

There wasn't for SARS or MERS or for the Spanish Flu a century ago but people got on with life and learnt to live with the virus.
As for Covid no one can say what it will be like even in 12 months time.Maybe like SARS it may mutate to one which is far less deadly.
I am confident that even if their isn't a vaccine the world will get back to a reasonably normal situation eventually.When I don't know.

But unfortunately many have had the pants scared off them and are quite frankly so pessimistic it is bad for their heath.Hope is much better for your health.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

SARS and MERS didn’t really make the news in Australia. It was big in Asia, but was it as deadly? Or as widespread?

People should be taking the virus seriously. Ask and of the children of those who died in aged care. Not being with your dying parent is terrible.

 

[drron]

We were travelling Asia during the height of the SARS epidemic.The mortality I think was higher than Covid but not as contagious.

PS a lot of aged care facilities were locked down during the Swine flu pandemic in australia so relatives were kept from their dying parents then as well.
And if you have staff with a little bit of human kindness you can let family be with their dying relative.There are always exceptions.We did that in Launceston at the height of the NWRH Covid cluster.Even relatives from interstate.Had to go to into hotel quarantine but escorted to hospital by police or ambulance staff to see their parent.

 

[Pushka]

We were travelling Asia during the height of the SARS epidemic.The mortality I think was higher than Covid but not as contagious.

PS a lot of aged care facilities were locked down during the Swine flu pandemic in australia so relatives were kept from their dying parents then as well.
And if you have staff with a little bit of human kindness you can let family be with their dying relative.There are always exceptions.We did that in Launceston at the height of the NWRH Covid cluster.Even relatives from interstate.Had to go to into hotel quarantine but escorted to hospital by police or ambulance staff to see their parent.

We were certainly travelling to Singapore during SARS for work. Dr said we were more likely to get Dengue. During swine flu both nephew and sons girlfriend had it. The former was unwell just for a day or so, the latter unwell with flu and high temp for about 10 days.

 

[p--and--t]

SARS and MERS didn’t really make the news in Australia. It was big in Asia, but was it as deadly? Or as widespread?

People should be taking the virus seriously. Ask and of the children of those who died in aged care. Not being with your dying parent is terrible.

Certainly IIRC with MERS there seemed to be a very high mortality rate per confirmed infection. However it seems (from the view of an outside observer) from the infection rates around the world, it hasn't proven to be as wildly contagious as Covid.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was in China at the height of whichever one it was.... biosecurity staff coming on to every plane in full PPE taking temperatures before being allowed to disembark, etc. There certainly wasn’t the same sense of urgency as with covid, so perhaps it was considered less contagious.

 

[desafinado74]

I believe that most domestic travel will resume by the end of this year. And a limited form international travel will resume by April next year, starting with low risk countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, NZ , Singapore, NZ etc

I see that Singapore has just re open it's borders to paxs from NZ and Brunei.
Meanwhile in Oz, we have stupid and arrogant state premiers (Hello QLD and WA ! ) playing politics by being unreasonably tough on border closures , Dan Andrews in Victoria lying and stuffing up big time , and the Federal govt making it near impossible for Aussies to return, and depart. (And yet allowing some international students to enter SA!)

 

[oznflfan]

I believe that most domestic travel will resume by the end of this year. And a limited form international travel will resume by April next year, starting with low risk countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, NZ , Singapore, NZ etc

I see that Singapore has just re open it's borders to paxs from NZ and Brunei.
Meanwhile in Oz, we have stupid and arrogant state premiers (Hello QLD and WA ! ) playing politics by being unreasonably tough on border closures , Dan Andrews in Victoria lying and stuffing up big time , and the Federal govt making it near impossible for Aussies to return, and depart. (And yet allowing some international students to enter SA!)

Agree on domestic, but I'd say international in some degree July at the earliest. Going to book a QFF Singapore (& pop over to Malaysia) flight for late September, just so locked in and I can look forward to it.

No way the QLD clown opens her border to NSW before the election, as doing this shows weakness, and flys against her whole pitch for re-election. She is really clueless, and unusual for voted in officials she is not a good communicator, almost deer in the headlights and talks before thinking.

McGowan better, but again same issue, his whole campaign is on keeping West Australian's safe, anything bar complete and utter eradication for at least 4 weeks Australia wide will keep WA borders shut hard before he get's re-elected (and he will by a landslide). Once he wins borders will come down, and he will spin as opening up the WA economy and allowing families to see each other.

 

[drron]

Now if hotel quarantine could be organised like Thailand I may be tempted OS.

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I'll have the villa with a private terrace thanks.

 

[luxury-lizard]

McGowan better, but again same issue, his whole campaign is on keeping West Australian's safe, anything bar complete and utter eradication for at least 4 weeks Australia wide will keep WA borders shut hard before he get's re-elected (and he will by a landslide). Once he wins borders will come down, and he will spin as opening up the WA economy and allowing families to see each other.

Geewhizz - just googled the WA election and it's not until March 2021 - surely McGowan won't keep the border closed till then (assuming Victoria gets sorted out and other states keep community transmission very low) ??? Personally I'm not in any hurry to go to WA but I appreciate that many others are anxious.

 

[oznflfan]

Geewhizz - just googled the WA election and it's not until March 2021 - surely McGowan won't keep the border closed till then (assuming Victoria gets sorted out and other states keep community transmission very low) ??? Personally I'm not in any hurry to go to WA but I appreciate that many others are anxious.

Nope, mark my words, unless complete and utter COVID eradication Australia wide, WA will be shut tight til McGowan gets his next term.

 

[antycbr]

Nope, mark my words, unless complete and utter COVID eradication Australia wide, WA will be shut tight til McGowan gets his next term.

Or the High Court rules otherwise.
Or if the PM grows a spine and tells states who politicise border closures they won’t receive any JobKeeper.

 

[jakeseven7]

Nope, mark my words, unless complete and utter COVID eradication Australia wide, WA will be shut tight til McGowan gets his next term.

I sadly agree with you, his own CHO disagrees with the WA border being closed to SA, NT etc so he is just doing it for the votes. Nothing else.

 

[HokitikaGold]

I think the hardest thing in this pandemic is the inability of the "people" to grasp how long term it will be, and the politicians attempts to push out this realization.

Even if a vaccine gets the thumbs up, we are still talking many many months before it is rolled out to a significant amount of people.

And international travel involves many things - not just local vaccine programs. I have heard people saying that Qantas will not renew international travel until July 2021. This is not what I understand from them - I got that July 2021 was the earliest forseeable.

 

[jase05]

Or if the PM grows a spine and tells states who politicise border closures they won’t receive any JobKeeper.

The PM wants another term too.
McGowan’s popularity is through the roof and WA would ensure Morrison gets booted next election if he dared tried anything like that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think the hardest thing in this pandemic is the inability of the "people" to grasp how long term it will be, and the politicians attempts to push out this realization.

Even if a vaccine gets the thumbs up, we are still talking many many months before it is rolled out to a significant amount of people.

And international travel involves many things - not just local vaccine programs. I have heard people saying that Qantas will not renew international travel until July 2021. This is not what I understand from them - I got that July 2021 was the earliest forseeable.

I'm not sure if there is an issue - other than one primarily created by the media?

The Vic government for example has stated the stage 4 would be for six weeks. Yet just three weeks in, the media is already demanding a date for the restrictions to ease because 'numbers are down'. This does create confusion.

It's true Qantas has decided July 2021. But that doesn't mean other airlines won't be ready much sooner than that. Qatar is still flying and even reintroducing routes such as Adelaide. It feels like Qantas is quite happy for people to think mid-2021 so they don't start booking with other airlines.

The PM has indicated a vaccine early in 2021. We could be flying well before July. just not on Qantas.

 

[antycbr]

The PM wants another term too.
McGowan’s popularity is through the roof and WA would ensure Morrison gets booted next election if he dared tried anything like that.

Scomo has another constituency his back bench which includes members from NSW who are already agitating for changes to reopen the economy and to start limiting the build up of debt. McGowan no matter how popular he is won’t have a JobKeeper extension past March and will have to open up.

 

[OZDUCK]

The PM wants another term too.
McGowan’s popularity is through the roof and WA would ensure Morrison gets booted next election if he dared tried anything like that.

The W.A Liberal opposition has over the last few months been constantly clamouring for tighter restrictions than what have been introduced so he would be on a hiding to nothing.

 

[trevella]

The PM has indicated a vaccine early in 2021. We could be flying well before July.

Apart from the complete lack of understanding of medical research, logistics, political maneuvering, airline economics, domestic coordination issues, international coordination issues, and other geopolitical realities, you could be right.

Yeah, nah.