UK-Australia flights unlikely to resume for at least a year
Qantas has said its long haul routes to the UK are unlikely to be reinstated for at least another year.
In July, the carrier suspended international services until March 2021.
It later said international flights, except for those to New Zealand, would not resume before July 2021.
Speaking at the company’s AGM, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: "For some of our big destinations like the United States and the UK, it’s going to need a vaccine given the high prevalence of the virus in both of those locations.
"It’s going to take some time to recover international travel back."
He said routes between Australia and the UK could ‘potentially’ happen by the end of next year.
"The unexpected closure of several domestic borders in July meant our recovery has been delayed," Mr Joyce said.
The company is expecting a further $100m in losses for the first quarter of this financial year.
The airline has run limited international flights, largely to help the Federal Government with repatriating Australians stuck overseas during to Covid-19.
By TravelMole reporters
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Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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