Airlines have wasted no time in adding hundreds of flights between Australia and New Zealand after the long awaited trans-Tasman travel bubble was cleared for take-off, with some return services going for less than $500.
Qantas and Jetstar announced a combined 122 weekly return flights between the two countries from April 19 just moments after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said travellers from Australia would no longer need to quarantine.
The two airlines will operate the same routes as they did before the Covid pandemic hit, while adding two new services for travellers to take advantage of – Auckland to Cairns and the Gold Coast.
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said on Tuesday night the airline had been ‘run off our feet’ as thousands of people desperate to travel and be reunited with loved ones booked flights, with Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne the most popular destinations.
But Virgin Australia, which was rescued from administration last year, will not return to trans-Tasman flying before October as it instead focuses on its domestic operations in Australia.
Sydney to Auckland was Australia’s most popular overseas route in February 2020, with 122,905 passengers – or 4.4 per cent of all international traffic – darting between each country’s most populous cities. Melbourne to Auckland was fourth.
A return flight between Sydney and Auckland with Jetstar departing on April 19 – the day the bubble kicks-off – is currently selling on their website for as little as $480.
Passengers travelling from Australia to New Zealand will no longer need to quarantine on arrival after the trans-Tasman travel bubble was given the green light to start from Monday, April 19 (pictured, a passenger at Sydney Airport)
Qantas and Air New Zealand have announced the addition of hundreds of flights between Australia and New Zealand from April 19 to support the travel bubble (stock image)
Qantas has return flights between Sydney and Auckland departing in late April starting at $658. Return flights between the two cities pre-travel bubble were as much as $1173 when Qantas only operated a handful of flights.
A return flight from Brisbane to Christchurch on Australia’s national carrier in late April can be found from $764, while depending on dates Melbourne to Auckland can be booked for $781.
Melbourne to Christchurch on Jetstar can be snapped up for $683 return and Brisbane to Auckland for $629.
Air New Zealand said its was ramping up flights between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and eight of its Australian ports now quarantine-free travel has become a reality.
Most services will start on April 19 except flights between Auckland and Adelaide which will begin in May and Auckland and Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast services from June.
The airline is yet to announce a start date for flights between Auckland and Hobart.
The New Zealand flag carrier is offering flights for about $580 return from Sydney to Auckland, a route they will operate up to five times a day.
A return flight between Brisbane and Wellington in late April is going for $666, Melbourne to Christchurch is $531 and Sydney to Queenstown is $662.
‘Pre-Covid-19, Australia was the largest tourism market for both our airline and New Zealand. We know a lot of tourism operators have been feeling the lack of international visitors so we’re looking forward to playing a role in New Zealand’s recovery,’ Mr Foran said.
Virgin Australia said while the travel bubble ‘is a step in the right direction and provides a boost of confidence for travellers looking to reunite with family and friends and do business across the Tasman’ its focus was currently on Australia.
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern (pictured) announced quarantine free travel between New Zealand and Australia on Tuesday
The trans-Tasman bubble is the first chance Australians have to travel overseas without requiring an exemption since the Covid pandemic hit (pictured, passengers at Sydney Airport)
‘While the airline remains committed to trans-Tasman flying when the market fully recovers, we are mindful of evolving border requirements which add complexity to our business as we push ahead with plans to grow our core domestic Australia operations,’ the airline said in a statement.
‘For this reason, we have suspended the sale of most New Zealand services until October 31, 2021. A limited schedule for flights to and from Queenstown will remain available for booking from September 18, 2021.’
Ms Ardern said on Tuesday New Zealand’s federal cabinet is now satisfied the conditions needed for quarantine-free travel have been met.
But she also warned that with the pandemic still wreaking havoc in many other parts of the world the rules could be subject to rapid change if an outbreak occurs in either country.
‘Those undertaking travel on either side of the ditch will do so under the guidance of flyer beware. People will need to plan for the possibility of travel being disrupted if there is an outbreak,’ she said.
Jacinda Ardern’s said Kiwis have missed there friends and family members in Australia over the past year (pictured: passengers arriving in Sydney International Airport from NZ)
Australians heading to New Zealand will be kept separate from other international arrivals who are still required to go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days.
Ms Ardern has said there will be no vaccine requirement when travelling in the trans-Tasman bubble, but strict Covid protocols will still be carried out.
Passengers will be required to undergo random temperature checks, wear facemask during the flight and must download New Zealand’s Covid Tracer app.
All travellers on board a ‘green zone flight’ must also have been in Australian for at least 14 days before departure.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the development is the first of many more steps to come as the two countries get back to a normal in the wake of the pandemic.
‘I very much appreciate the arrangement the New Zealand government has come to today, we welcome them back as indeed Kiwis will be welcoming Aussies,’ he said.
‘That means more planes in the air, more jobs on the ground and in the air as well for our airlines.’
The bubble will allow travellers from Australia and New Zealand to travel between the two countries without quarantining (pictured: passengers at Sydney Airport)
Ms Ardern said the news will come as a great relief for many Kiwis who have been unable to see loved ones from across the ditch.
‘One sacrifice that has been particularly hard for many to bear over the past year has not been able to see friends and family who live in Australia,’ she said.
‘Our health response now gives us an opportunity to visit with loved ones again as we start a new chapter in our recovery.’
While Ms Ardern acknowledged that Queensland’s recent outbreak did cause some concern for cross border travel, the cluster has now been ‘contained’.
‘The cabinet believes any residual risk can be managed,’ she said.
Airport executives say they will be ready for the April 19 start date at 11:59pm on Sunday, with health officials due to inspect Auckland Airport this week with a view to clearing the country’s biggest airport for takeoff.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) said the development is the first of many more steps to come as the two countries get back to a normal in the wake of the pandemic