Qantas believes New Zealand has shelved the trans-Tasman bubble for another four months, advising travellers quarantine-free travel isn’t likely until December.
New Zealand abandoned the free movement arrangement with Australia last month, citing the increased threat from the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paused the policy for eight weeks, with a review to take place in early September.
Pre-empting that review, Qantas – one of the two airlines to operate bubble services – believes quarantine-free travel has been shelved for much of 2021.
In an email to Qantas flyers, the airline writes off the bubble until Christmas, when vaccination rates in both countries are forecast to be vastly higher.
“Based on the current vaccination projection rates and the Australian Government’s plan for reopening borders, we are preparing for Qantas and Jetstar international flights to resume … from mid-December 2021 between Australia and New Zealand,” the bulletin states.
Qantas gives the same timeline given for the resumption of flights from Australia to Fiji, Singapore, the US, Japan, the UK and Canada.
If true, it would effectively spell an end for the special trans-Tasman arrangement and see treating New Zealand the same as other destinations.
Qantas also predicts the resumption of international flights to Hong Kong in February 2022.
Other destinations – including Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg – are tipped to restart no earlier than April 2022.
The NZ government is yet to respond to requests for contact on its trans-Tasman bubble plans.
NZ’s closure of the quarantine-free travel arrangement with Australia did not prevent the dreaded Delta variant from reaching the country.
Earlier this month, the infectious new variant entered the community through a border failure.
The current outbreak – which has infected 277 Kiwis and counting – has been sourced back to a Kiwi who travelled from Sydney on a “red zone” flight on August 7.
Investigations continue into how the virus slipped from quarantine into the community.
AAP
