Qantas is fast-tracking the revival of a number of key global routes and launching a new Sydney-Delhi service, the national carrier has announced today.
The Australian flag-carrier is also bringing two Airbus A380 superjumbos back into operation three months earlier than planned; reviving the jobs of thousands of staff who had been laid off due to COVID; and accelerating the delivery of three brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
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Qantas said the faster ramp-up follows the Federal and New South Wales governments confirming that international borders would reopen from 1 November 2021 and the decision by the NSW Government to remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals – which significantly increases travel demand.
Coupled with the phased reopening of domestic state and territory borders, Qantas Group plans to reinstate some 11,000 workers stood down due to the pandemic across Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic and international operation in early December.
“Combined with operational and corporate employees already working, the Group’s 22,000 employees are able to return to work in December, which wasn’t expected to happen until June 2022,” Qantas Group said.
Alan Joyce, Qantas Group CEO said: “Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected.”
“This is the best news we’ve had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again.”
International schedule update
Qantas plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi on 6 December 2021 with three return flights per week with its A330 aircraft, building to daily flights by end of the year (subject to approvals). The new Delhi route would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand.
Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate nonstop.
Joyce said Delhi has been on Qantas’ route for some time, and the service is expected to appeal to the VFR market: “We think there will be strong demand from family and friends wanting to reconnect once borders open,” he said.
The updated international schedule also includes:
