One-way flights to Queensland without mandatory quarantine will soon be in full swing once Air New Zealand is given the go-ahead to run quarantine-free flights to the region.
There was confusion last week when Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that the state’s border would open to Kiwis arriving on a quarantine-free flight.
From 1am on December 12 Kiwis would be allowed to travel one-way without having to spend time in a managed isolation facility upon arrival.
However, passengers travelling to Brisbane on Saturday were told by Air New Zealand they would not be walking out of the terminal into the arms of friends and family - they would have to complete managed isolation.
In a statement to 1 NEWS, Air New Zealand said Kiwis would have to continue to quarantine until the airline had confirmation “that all agencies in Australia are satisfied” they could accept quarantine-free flights.
Its quarantine-free and quarantine flight schedule had yet to be finalised as the airline was waiting for Australian sign-off on its Covid-free flights plan.
“As part of the Safe Travel Zone with some Australian states, we operate quarantine-free and quarantine flights and we are working with Queensland state authorities to ensure we can operate quarantine-free flights for those whose travel originates in New Zealand, as well as quarantine flights for those whose travel commences outside New Zealand,” an Air New Zealand spokesperson says.
When passengers on quarantine-free flights land in Australia they are kept separate from passengers on board quarantine flights who are taken to mandatory quarantine.
Currently, Australian airports have a green and red zone system in place to separate the two sets of flights.
Quarantine-free flights vs quarantine flights
According to Australian authorities, a flight is only classed as quarantine-free if the passengers are New Zealanders who have been in the country for a fortnight or more and have not been in a Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand in the last 14 days before travelling. An Australia travel declaration form must be filled out three days before flying.
From December 12 Kiwis can fly to the Australian state without having to quarantine there.
Passengers from outside of New Zealand who are transiting through it will be put on a quarantine flight. Anyone on this flight will then be put into managed quarantine on arrival in Australia.
Air New Zealand says transiting and international travellers will not mix with Kiwis who are starting their travel from New Zealand.
Travel bubble to be decided next year
To open up quarantine-free flights to New Zealand from Australia the logistics around how airlines will operate will need to be clarified first, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
“For them to move with some certainty around their crew arrangements and even which planes they will be making available for use,” Ardern says.
The Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins says airlines have asked that before any travel bubble is established they are given a notice period to prepare for operating more flights.
“They have grounded a lot of their fleets, a lot of their crew are on furlough or not currently working so they need the opportunity to bring them back and get them current again before they bring them back in the air,” he says.
He says the Government has made it clear to the airlines that they want one crew working on quarantine-free flights and another on flights from Covid-19 hotspots.
“That requires some logistical rearranging for them and time tabling shifts so they need some opportunity to apply for that.”
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