Qantas will now continue flying from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island until 30 June 2022, after Air New Zealand announced it will not be able to take over the routes from the end of this month as planned.
Air New Zealand has long held the Australian government contract to service the routes from Brisbane and Sydney to Norfolk Island, and is still due to resume flights to Norfolk Island in July 2022.
Qantas has been serving Norfolk Island from mainland Australia instead since March 2021, after Air New Zealand repeatedly had to cancel flights due to crewing issues when flights from New Zealand to Australia were suspended.
Air New Zealand had previously said it would open a new crew base in Brisbane to ensure it would be able to reliably serve Norfolk Island from Australia from 30 August 2021. But with the trans-Tasman travel bubble currently suspended, the airline will no longer be able to do this in time.
“Air New Zealand will be suspending passenger services between Australia and Norfolk Island from 30 August 2021 due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in Australia and the suspension of quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand,” Air New Zealand told travel agents.
Passengers that were booked to fly with Air New Zealand between Sydney, Brisbane and Norfolk Island after 29 August will be eligible for a refund. They will not be automatically rebooked on Qantas.
Qantas flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island are already on sale now, for travel until 30 June 2022. Flights from Sydney normally run on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays (although Sunday’s flight from Sydney is not currently running). Services from Brisbane operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights from both cities are currently on sale from $299 one-way in Economy, and Brisbane-Norfolk Island flights are now $719 one-way in Business. There is also plenty of award availability.
Norfolk Island has been a popular holiday destination for Australians over the past year, as one of the only “overseas” options that Australians are allowed to visit (since it’s an external Australian territory). But travel is currently restricted from NSW, Victoria and ACT due to lockdowns in those states & territories. Travellers from other states are permitted to transit via Sydney Airport to get to Norfolk Island, with some conditions.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas to Norfolk Island
