Over 10,000 people are set to fly across the Tasman between Australia and New Zealand today on Qantas, Air New Zealand and Jetstar as a new era of quarantine-free travel between the two countries begins.
Looking at wider horizons, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has raised the prospect of letting Australians travel overseas and return home without having to undergo hotel quarantine – provided they are vaccinated against Covid-19. But that’s still some way off.
Trans-Tasman travel does not require vaccination against Covid-19. While that’s part of its popularity, large sections of the community are wary of the move. A recent survey conducted in New Zealand found only about half the population there are in favour of opening trans-Tasman travel. Many others are concerned that Australians could bring Covid-19 to New Zealand and trigger further lockdowns. Travellers also know that if Covid-19 outbreaks bring lockdowns and they become stranded, insurance will not cover them.
Morrison held out the prospect of vaccinated Australians being able to travel elsewhere for “essential” purposes in the second half of this year, possibly quarantining at home, rather than in hotels, on return. He says he is in “no hurry” to reopen borders and has warned that Australia would “have to get used to dealing with 1000 cases a week or more” if international border restrictions were lifted.
In the meantime, travellers desperate to visit New Zealand, or return to it, are heading east out of Australia today, while Kiwis in a corresponding position fly west across the Tasman to Australia.
The first quarantine-free Qantas flight from Sydney was due to touch down in Auckland in the very early hours of this morning,
just six minutes after midnight when the trans-Tasman bubble officially opened. It was reported to be a repositioning flight, carrying just crew.
The first official quarantine-free passenger flight from Australia is a Jetstar service from Sydney, JQ201, due to land at 11.20 am to an official welcome at Auckland Airport.
Wellington Airport is also preparing a big welcome, at 1 pm, with live music and a huge welcome banner, news site Stuff.co.nz reported.
Air New Zealand expects more than 5000 people to travel to Australia today, with Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran saying today would enter history as one of the most monumental days for Air New Zealand and a turning point for the airline.
“It’s Day 1 of our revival,” he told Stuff.co.nz.
Thirty flights will be operating on Monday between Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney, flying into Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Most Australian states have been open to New Zealand travellers for months, but Kiwi travellers have had to enter hotel quarantine on return to their home countries. Australians have not been allowed out of Australia without permission (along the lines of: “Please sir, may I leave the country.”)
That has all changed – on the Tasman, at least. Tourism Australia has launched a campaign inviting Kiwis to “Be the First” international travellers back to Australia.
New Zealand plans its own campaign for launch later this month in Australia, after New Zealand’s school holidays end.
In both directions, travellers visiting friends and family are expected to make up much of the initial traffic.
Passengers will have to complete a pre-departure health declaration and must not have had a positive Covid-19 test result in the previous 14-days or be waiting on results of a Covid-19 test.
Passengers will need to wear masks, be prepared for random temperature checks, and will not be able to travel if they have a cold or flu symptoms.
Hopefully, trans-Tasman travel will soon revert to what it has been over the past few years. For the whole calendar year 2019 (disregarding 2020, when travel was warped by Covid-19), New Zealand was the leading destination country for Australians travelling overseas, with nearly 1.5 million trips. New Zealand was also the main supplier of visitors to Australia, before the pandemic closed borders.
Written by Peter Needham
