At today's media briefing, QANTAS CEO Alan Joyce, flanked by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet announced that QANTAS is moving forward international flights to selected destinations from November 1, 2021.
This effectively backed the announcement by Premier Perrotet made last week that NSW is opening to international travellers from November 1.
New South Wales opens its borders to the world from November 1, and the carrier has announced several international routes will restart sooner than expected, with Delhi, Singapore, Fiji, Johannesburg, Bangkok and Phuket among the earliest to open up.
Effectively, the announcement by Mr Joyce means that:
* more than 10,000 Qantas staff will return to work by December 21
* more international routes are being restarted ahead of schedule
* domestic flights are also being resumed as state borders reopen.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said rising vaccination rates meant Australia was "ready for take off".
"The national plan was all about opening up Australia safely so we can remain safely open, and that is what we are seeing here today," Mr Morrison said.
International flights will initially be restricted to citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families. But Mr Morrison said he expected travel to quickly open up for other groups, with students and business travellers next in the queue, followed by skilled migrants and then international tourists.
"I am confident that because of the way we have prepared for this day, that is very possible and very achievable by the end of the year," Mr Morrison said.
Today, NSW reported the latest reported number of COVID cases as follows:
