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On Monday, the federal government announced airlines will be able to claim $750 a week for half of their pilots and flight attendants to prevent further job losses.
Australian airlines can claim for 50 per cent of their air crew workforce if they can show a 30 per cent downturn since Sydney became a national COVID-19 hotspot.
“This is clearly the last thing we want to do, but we’re now faced with an extended period of reduced flying and that means no work for a number of our people.“: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.Credit:Janie Barrett
Mr Joyce said Qantas and Jetstar had gone from operating almost 100 per cent of their usual domestic flying in May to less than 40 per cent in July because of lockdowns in three states.
“Hopefully, once other states open back up to South Australia and Victoria in the next week or so, and the current outbreak in Brisbane is brought under control, our domestic flying will come back to around 50 to 60 per cent of normal levels,” he said.
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Based on current case numbers, Mr Joyce said it was reasonable to assume that Sydney’s borders will be closed for at least another two months.
“We know it will take a few weeks once the outbreak is under control before other states open to New South Wales and normal travel can resume.
“Fortunately, we know that once borders do reopen, travel is at the top of people’s list and flying tends to come back quickly, so we can get our employees back to work.”
More to come