Qantas Moves Up Flights As Australia Expects Influx Of Tourists

Qantas Airways has brought forward its plans to restart international travel from Sydney as Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted tourists would be welcomed back to Australia this year, Rod McGuirk reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The forecast coms as vaccinated Australian permanent residents and citizens will be free to travel through Sydney from Nov. 1 without the need for hotel quarantine on their return.

Vaccinated Australian permanent residents and citizens will be free to travel through Sydney from Nov. 1 without the need for hotel quarantine on their return.

Two weeks ago, Morrison said Australians, skilled migrants, and students would be given priority over foreign travelers in coming to Sydney. He predicted tourists would return in 2022 or later.

But while tourists would retain their low priority, Morrison now expects they will return this year. “That is very possible and very achievable before the end of the year,” Morrison said.

Sydney-based Qantas announced services to Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, and Fiji had been brought forward by weeks or months. A new service to New Delhi would begin in December, the first to India in almost a decade.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic