First flight from Australia will be to London in NOVEMBER – with other destinations on the cards before CHRISTMAS… Here’s what you need to know
- Top travel boss teases first international flight out of Australia will be to London
- Holiday-hungry Australians can expect to touch down in the UK by November
- Mainland Europe, Fiji, Canada, the United States and Singapore tipped to follow
- Travel routes to countries with high vaccination rates to be prioritised by airlines
A top travel boss has predicted Australians will be flying to London by November, despite still not being allowed on a three hour flight from Sydney to Queensland.
Graham Turner, chief executive of Flight Centre, said mainland Europe, Fiji, Canada, the United States and Singapore could also be on the cards before Christmas.
It comes as the Prime Minister announced vaccination passports could be in the hand’s of holiday-hungry fully-vaccinated Australians in just few months time when vaccination rates are due to hit 80 per cent.
But in a bizarre battle of the borders it appears Sydneysiders could travel overseas before they enter the Sunshine State or Western Australia, which remains\ tightly shut to NSW.
A top travel boss has predicted Australians will be flying to London by November (pictured, a woman in London on Westminster Bridge)
Graham Turner, chief executive of Flight Centre, said mainland Europe, Fiji, Canada, the United States and Singapore could also be on the cards before Christmas (pictured, woman in Italy)
Destinations tipped for international travel
Australians can expect to travel to these countries:
London in November 2021
Mainland Europe, Canada, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Fiji and the United States before Christmas 2021
Flights to countries with low vaccination rates:
Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg will not restart until April 2022
Mr Turner predicted the first international holiday available will the UK some time in November, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Australia is considered a ‘green list’ country by the United Kingdom, meaning visitors do not have to quarantine on arrival.
Instead, tourists are required to have been Covid-tested in the three days before arriving in Britain and again on their second day in the country.
Mr Turner said he expects Queensland and other parts of the country to have a tougher time acclimatising with the rest of the world.
‘NSW has nothing to lose,’ the chief executive said.
‘They’ve got the infection. It doesn’t matter that they bring in more.’
The optimistic travel chief said travellers would likely only be required to quarantine for two to five days on their return to Australia when international travel resumes – and it could even be at home.
It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison said self-isolation at home would become the ‘primary and viable method’ for quarantine.
Australia is considered a ‘green list’ country by the United Kingdom meaning visitors do not have to quarantine on arrival (pictured, a woman in Canada, another destination which could be on the cards by the end of the year for the fully-vaccinated)
Digital vaccine certificates confirming double-dose Covid jabs already exist, but the data, including the brand of vaccine, could also be added to the built-in chips in existing biometric passports (pictured)
The NSW Premier on Thursday announced the details of the state’s ‘roadmap to freedom’ (pictured) once 70 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated with pubs, restaurants, shops, gyms and swimming pools opening up
It is believed expats may be permitted to home quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with a jab approved by the country’s medical regulator.
The federal government has also cleared a plan for Covid vaccine passports for launch with international immunisation passports to be rolled out in October.
The NSW Premier on Thursday announced the details of the state’s ‘roadmap to freedom’ once 70 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated with pubs, restaurants, shops, gyms and swimming pools opening up.
Major Australian airline Qantas last week announced its plans to gradually bring back overseas flights once 80 per cent of the Australian population was fully vaccinated.
Qantas said it expected the country to reach that target in December – triggering the re-opening of international borders as part of ‘Phase C’ of the federal government’s path to pandemic normality.
The first available travel routes will be to first-world destinations with high vaccination rates including the United States, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand, Qantas told the Australian Securities Exchange.
Major Australian airline Qantas last week announced its plans to gradually bring back overseas flights once 80 per cent of the Australian population was fully vaccinated (pictured, Qantas aircrafts at Kingsford Smith Airport in August)
(pictured, a nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer vaccine)
The airline said flights to cities in Asia and South Africa with low vaccination rates and high Covid-19 case numbers would not restart until at least April 2022.
Those developing world destinations include Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg.
Qantas said it also plans to restart flights between Australia and New Zealand from mid-December 2021 as long as the trans-Tasman bubble had re-opened by that date.
The airline has predicted Victoria will be the first state to open its borders to NSW from early December, while hardline Western Australia will be the last.
It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australians are just weeks away from getting vaccine passports that proves they have received two jabs.
The first available travel routes will be to first-world destinations with high vaccination rates including the United States, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand (pictured, a woman in Italy)
Mr Morrison said the passports were key to the next stage of the national plan when Australia’s lockdown borders – both internal and external – will finally be re-opened.
The document will be accepted internationally so when Australians are finally allowed to go overseas again, they can travel freely.
Australians returning from overseas, with more than 30,000 still stranded by flight caps, can also use the vaccine passport to enter home isolation upon return instead of hotel quarantine.
Digital vaccine certificates confirming double-dose Covid jabs already exist, but the data, including the brand of vaccine, could also be added to the built-in chips in existing biometric passports.
Meanwhile, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has announced intrastate travel will resume once 80 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has announced intrastate travel will resume once 80 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated (pictured, passengers in Sydney Airport)
Mr Morrison said vaccine passports were key to the next stage of the national plan when Australia’s lockdown borders – both internal and external – will finally be re-opened (pictured, Qantas flight crew in Brisbane Airport)
The earmarked date to reach the target is the end of October or early November, at which point Sydneysiders who have received both doses of a Covid jab will be allowed to travel freely through the state with a special travel permit.
The travel permit will be accessed on the Service NSW app, with the deputy premier warning the document will be essential for movement throughout the state.
Caravan parks and camping grounds will also be allowed to receive visitors – giving cooped-up Aussies ample excuse for a road-trip.
However Australians who prefer luxury cruises have been warned they will be waiting a little longer with no plan in place to restart the industry.
Cruise Lines International Association managing director Joel Katz revealed that travellers would be better off flying to the United States or Singapore to board a cruise on current timelines.
QANTAS PLANS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
MID-DECEMBER: Singapore, the United States, Japan, United Kingdom and Canada using Boeing 787s
New Zealand if travel bubble reopened with Australia
Airbus A330s, and 737s and A320s for services to Fiji
FEBRUARY 2022: Hong Kong
APRIL 2022: Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg
APRIL 2022: Budget subsidiary Jetstar to resume international flights
JULY 2022: Sydney to Los Angeles on A380s
NOVEMBER 2022: Sydney to London via Singapore with Darwin instead of Perth as a possible transit point
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