Qantas is accelerating restart plans for several more international routes, allowing the carrier to reactivate widebody aircraft and recall employees ahead of its previous forecasts.
The initiative is part of a wider A$530 million investment plan the New South Wales state government is offering to “supercharge” its tourism and travel economy.
The airlines, which have existing approvals from regulators to operate a joint business until March 2023, will seek re-authorization to continue the core elements of the partnership until 2028.
Australia’s flag-carrier plans to extend its joint business with Emirates for a further five years and has brought forward the resumption of two long-haul routes.
The airline has adapted its flying schedule in response to state reopening plans and latest border assumptions in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.
Ryanair’s domestic expansion in Sweden, Swoop adding a fourth destination in Mexico, and Austrian Airlines returning to Montreal are among the latest new route announcements and service resumptions.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has denied authorization for Qantas Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL) to coordinate flights between Australia and Japan.
Destinations with high vaccination rates are an initial focus, while Australia’s flag-carrier is evaluating whether to operate scheduled service between London Heathrow and Darwin.
The latest surge of COVID-19 cases in Australia has dealt a crucial blow to local airlines that were beginning to recover some momentum based on their domestic strength.
As well as further growing its domestic network with seven new routes, the oneworld alliance member is adding more Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 flights within Australia.
Qantas predicts its domestic capacity will exceed pre-pandemic levels for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and the growth it has been seeing in this sector is driving improvements in some financial measures.
The decision comes after the Australian government released a revised forecast for the recovery of international travel that presented a gloomier outlook than previously projected.
Australian regulators have issued a draft rejection of an application by Qantas and Japan Airlines to cooperate more closely, although Qantas says it will argue to have the decision reversed in the final ruling.
