Qantas has increased flights to North West Queensland this week, following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
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On Monday June 29, Mount Isa and Cloncurry have seen additional flights across the region, despite Qantas's domestic operations sitting at 15 percent of its pre-COVID capacity.
Qantas has increased its North West operations to six weekly return flights between Brisbane and Mount Isa and three return flights for Cloncurry- Mount Isa. Qantas is also operating a service between Mount Isa and Cloncurry - Townsville.
Additional flights will likely operate during July depending on travel demand and further relaxation of state borders, with the ability to increase to up to 40 per cent of the Group's pre-crisis domestic capacity by the end of July.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said there was pent up demand for air travel.
"We are already seeing a big increase in customers booking and planning flights in the weeks and months ahead," Mr Joyce said.
"We can quickly ramp up flying in time for the July school holidays if border restrictions have eased more by then. Normally, we plan our capacity months in advance, but in the current climate we need to be flexible to respond to changing restrictions and demand levels.
"Customers will notice a number of differences when they fly, such as masks and sanitising wipes, and we'll be sending out information before their flight so they know exactly what to expect and have some extra peace of mind."
Qantas announced it's 'Fly Well' program in preparation for easing travel restrictions and is operating on all current aircrafts.
Some changes include:
- Hand sanitising stations at departure gates.
- Masks provided to all passengers on each flight - while not mandatory from a safety point of view, they are recommended to be worn in the interests of everyone's peace-of-mind.
- Enhanced cleaning of aircraft with a disinfectant effective against Coronaviruses, with a focus on high contact areas - seats, seatbelts, overhead lockers, air vents and toilets.
- Sanitising wipes given to all passengers to wipe down seat belts, trays and armrests themselves, if preferred.
- Simplified service and catering to minimise touchpoints for crew and passengers.
- Passengers asked to limit movement around cabin, once seated.
- Sequenced boarding and disembarkation to minimise crowding.
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
