Qantas and Jetstar to suspend scheduled international flights from late March, following latest government travel advice
The Qantas Group has outlined the customer and employee impact of a huge drop in travel demand triggered by the public health response to the Coronavirus crisis.Earlier this week, cuts to 90 per cent of international flying and about 60 per cent of domestic flying were announced by Qantas and Jetstar. With the Federal Government now recommending against all overseas travel from Australia, regularly scheduled international flights will continue until late March to assist with repatriation and will then be suspended until at least the end of May 2020. As the national carrier, Qantas is in ongoing discussions with the Federal Government about continuation of some strategic links.
More than 150 aircraft will be temporarily grounded, including all of Qantas’ A380s, 747s and B787-9s and Jetstar’s B787-8s. Discussions are progressing with airports and government about parking for these aircraft.
Essential domestic, regional and freight connections will be maintained as much as possible.
Qantas’ fleet of freighters will continue to be fully utilised. Some domestic passenger aircraft will also be used for freight-only flights to replace lost capacity from regular scheduled services. There is no impact on Qantas Loyalty’s operations as a result of today’s announcement.
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK CHANGES
The Qantas Group is making the following changes:
All regularly scheduled Qantas and Jetstar international flights from Australia will be suspended from end March until at least end May 2020. Some flights may continue in order to maintain key links, based on ongoing discussions with the Federal Government.
Jetstar Asia (Singapore) will suspend all flights from 23 March to at least 15 April 2020.
Jetstar Japan has suspended international flights and cut domestic flying.
Jetstar Pacific (Vietnam) has suspended international flights and will significantly cut domestic flying.
DOMESTIC NETWORK CHANGES
The Group will maintain connectivity to almost all Australian domestic and regional destinations that Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar currently operate to. The 60 per cent reduction in capacity will come mostly from a significant reduction in flight frequency, but also route suspensions and postponing a number of new route launches.
(The route-by-route detail of these changes can be found here.)
PEOPLE IMPACT
In order to preserve as many jobs as possible longer term, Qantas and Jetstar will stand down the majority of their 30,000 employees until at least the end of May 2020.
During the stand down, employees will be able to draw down on annual and long service leave and additional support mechanisms will be introduced, including leave at half pay and early access to long service leave. Employees with low leave balances at the start of the stand down will be able to access up to four weeks’ leave in advance of earning it. Unfortunately, periods of leave without pay for some employees are inevitable.
Senior Group Management Executives and the Board have increased their salary reductions from 30 per cent to 100 per cent until at least the end of this financial year, joining the Chairman and Group CEO in taking no pay. Annual management bonuses have also been cancelled.
Revised Qantas mainline network
Region/Port Destination
East Coast capitals Sydney-Melbourne (88 return services per week, down from 250)
Sydney-Brisbane (50 return services per week, down from 142)
Melbourne-Brisbane (36 return services per week, down from 95)
East-west Sydney-Perth (25 return services per week, down from 47)
Melbourne-Perth (22 return services per week, down from 46)
Brisbane-Perth (14 return services per week, down from 35)
Canberra Sydney-Canberra (38 return services per week, down from 115)
Melbourne-Canberra (38 return services per week, down from 67)
Brisbane-Canberra (15 return services per week, down from 35)
Adelaide-Canberra (7 return services per week, down from 12)
Northern Territory Sydney-Darwin (7 return services per week, down from 11)
Brisbane-Darwin (3 return services per week, down from 7)
Adelaide-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, nil change)
Sydney-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, nil change)
Darwin-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, down from 14)
Darwin-Perth (3 return services per week, down from 7)
Adelaide Sydney-Adelaide (21 return services per week, down from 54)
Melbourne-Adelaide (27 return services per week, down from 69)
Brisbane-Adelaide (13 return services per week, down from 25)
Perth-Adelaide (14 return services per week, down from 28)
Tasmania Melbourne-Hobart (9 return services per week, down from 26)
Sydney-Hobart (7 return services per week, down from 17)
Queensland Sydney-Gold Coast (14 return services per week, down from 28)
Sydney-Cairns (7 return services per week, down from 14)
Brisbane-Cairns (14 return services per week, down from 38)
Brisbane-Townsville (14 return services per week, down from 36)
Revised Qantas regional network
Region/Port Destination
Sydney Albury, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga (around 12 return services per week)
Lord Howe Island (7 return services per week)
Moree (6 return services per week)
Brisbane Bundaberg (12 return services per week)
Emerald*
Gladstone*
Hamilton Island, Hervey Bay (7 return services per week)
Longreach via Barcaldine or Blackall (7 return services per week)
Mackay (21 return services per week)
Moranbah (23 return services per week)
Roma (19 return services per week)
Charleville (4 return services per week)
Rockhampton*
Mt Isa *
Newcastle (12 return services per week)
Cairns Townsville*
Horn Island (7 return services per week)
Weipa (13 return services per week)
Townsville Mount Isa via Cloncurry (9 return services per week)
Townsville-Mackay-Rockhampton (7 return services per week)
Adelaide Port Lincoln, Whyalla (7 return services per week)
Kangaroo Island (3 return services per week)
Melbourne Devonport, Launceston (12 return services per week)
Perth Geraldton (9 return services per week)
All other intra-WA regional routes unaffected
*new schedule still to be finalised
Suspended regional Qantas routes
Region/Port Destination
Adelaide Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Darwin (Direct)
Alice Springs Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Brisbane
Melbourne
Perth
Uluru (Ayers Rock) Cairns
Brisbane Alice Springs
Lord Howe
Tamworth
Cairns Hamilton Island
Melbourne
Darwin Adelaide (direct)
Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Broome
Melbourne
Melbourne Alice Springs
Broome
Darwin
Gold Coast
Hamilton Island
Perth Alice Springs
Canberra
Sydney Ballina (Launch delayed)
Bendigo
Broome
Hamilton Island
Mildura (Launch delayed)
Orange (Launch delayed)
Sunshine Coast
Toowoomba (Wellcamp)
JETSTAR
Jetstar domestic and Jetstar domestic in New Zealand
Region/Port Destination
East Coast capitals Sydney-Melbourne (28 return services per week, down from 93)
Sydney -Brisbane (14 return services per week, down from 43)
Brisbane-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 34)
Queensland Coast Cairns-Sydney (7 return services per week, down from 21)
Sunshine Coast-Sydney (7 return services per week, down from 25)
Sunshine Coast-Melbourne (7 return services per week, down from 18)
Brisbane-Townsville (7 return services per week, down from 14)
Cairns-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 26)
Proserpine-Brisbane (7 return services per week, no change)
Gold Coast Gold Coast-Sydney (21 return services per week, down from 70)
Gold Coast-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 45)
NSW Coast Ballina-Sydney (7 return services per week, down from 18)
Newcastle-Brisbane (7 return services per week, down from 16)
Newcastle-Melbourne (7 return services per week, down from 25)
Tasmania Hobart-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 36)
Launceston-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 26)
Hobart-Sydney (7 return services per week, down from 17)
Launceston-Sydney (7 return services per week, down from 9)
South Australia Adelaide-Melbourne (14 return services per week, down from 24)
Adelaide-Sydney (14 return services per week, down from 26)
Western Australia Perth-Melbourne (7 return services per week, down from 11)
Northern Territory Uluru (Ayres Rock) to Sydney (6 return services per week, down from 7)
Other (inc Jetstar New Zealand) Avalon-Sydney (14 return services per week, down from 38)
Auckland-Christchurch (14 return services per week, down from 42)
Auckland-Wellington (14 return services per week, down from 42)
Suspended routes
Queensland coast All flights to Hamilton Island and Mackay
Brisbane-Cairns
Gold Coast Gold Coast-Adelaide
Gold Coast-Avalon
Gold Coast-Cairns
Gold Coast-Newcastle
Gold Coast-Perth
NSW Coast Ballina-Melbourne
Tasmania Hobart-Adelaide
Hobart-Brisbane
Launceston-Brisbane
South Australia Adelaide-Avalon
Adelaide-Brisbane
Adelaide-Cairns
Adelaide-Sunshine Coast
Western Australia Perth-Adelaide
Perth-Gold Coast
Perth-Cairns
Perth-Sydney
Busselton-Melbourne (Launched delayed)
Northern Territory All Darwin services
Other (including Jetstar New Zealand) Auckland-Dunedin
Auckland-Queenstown
Wellington-Queenstown
Wellington-Christchurch
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