Qantas Group Half Year Results and update on recovery
Dear ABCSA Members,
Qantas continues to navigate the impacts of the COVID crisis with a significant half year loss reported today that reflects the conditions we faced in the six months to the end of 2020.
Our priority is on recovery and repair and we’re hopeful domestic border closures will soon be a thing of the past with the vaccine rollout underway. We’re confident we’ll be in a strong competitive position to meet increased travel demand and support our customers.
Resumption of international flights from late October
Qantas is now planning to restart regular international passenger flights to most of its destinations from late October – a four month extension from our previous estimate of July, which had been in place since mid-2020. This date aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete.
- Flights to 22 of 25 of our pre-COVID destinations will resume on 31 October 2021.
- Direct flights to New York, Santiago and Osaka won’t resume initially, but we remain committed to flying to these destinations. In the meantime, customers will be able to book through our codeshare or oneworld arrangements with partner airlines.
- Flights to New Zealand are still expected to ramp up significantly from 1 July 2021.
These changes will be published in the coming days, with options available for impacted customers, including a refund for cancelled flights. We’re in close consultation with the Australian Government and we’ll keep you updated if further adjustments are required.
Additional flexibility and extension of credit vouchers
We remain focused on creating COVID-safe environments through our Fly Well program, delivering better value and rewarding our frequent flyers. Today we have announced additional flexibility to help offset uncertainty on borders and enable our customers to book flights with confidence:
- Fly Flexible policy now applies to international flights booked from today until at least the end of April 2021 (previously only available for domestic and Trans-Tasman flights), offering unlimited date changes on all Qantas fares through to at least February 2022.
- Extension of flight vouchers – giving customers with a credit voucher an extension to enable travel until 31 December 2023 for use on domestic or international flights.
The changes we’re making right across the business will help position us for opportunities, where it’s new destinations, growth in the domestic market or moving ahead with Project Sunrise when the time is right.
On behalf of everyone at Qantas, I’d like to thank you again for your ongoing support and partnership.
Michi Messner
Regional Manger Africa
