Delays at Brisbane airport due to Adelaide outbreak

All flights arriving into Brisbane from Adelaide – one Virgin flight, one Qantas and one Jetstar – have been delayed by up to 105 minutes.

All flights arriving into Brisbane from Adelaide – one Virgin flight, one Qantas and one Jetstar – have been delayed by up to 105 minutes.

Virgin Australia flight tracker reported the delays were due to departure taking “longer than planned”.

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Part of the Virgin arrivals lounge was cordoned off with police and military personnel are present, in preparation for arrivals from Greater Sydney.

Brisbane Airport confirmed the Adelaide delays were not related to arrival processes.

Flights arriving from Adelaide, like those from Greater Sydney and Victoria, will disembark at restricted sections of the airport and will be screened by police and told to self isolate.

People arriving to Brisbane Airport on Monday from Adelaide flight VA1395. Picture: Mark Cranitch

It comes after Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there had been arrivals from Adelaide into the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns today.

It is understood there have been about 7000 people arrive into Queensland from Adelaide since Monday last week.

Qantas is currently operating 20 flight between Brisbane and Adelaide, but will likely decrease that number as restrictions come into play.

“With isolation or quarantine requirements changing for travellers from South Australia in a number of states and territories, we have already seen a number of customers booked to travel to and from Adelaide in the next few days take up this option,” Qantas said in a statement.

“We are looking at what impact these changes will have on our schedule, but it’s likely we’ll be reducing flights to and from Adelaide for the next few weeks.”

Anyone who has booked to travel on Qantas or Jetstar domestic flights will be able to change their flight without paying a change fee should they no longer wish to travel.

Virgin Australia will also be making changes to its flight schedule as a result of the border closures, with the airline currently operating around 35 weekly return flights to South Australia including flights between Adelaide to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth and Alice Springs.

“Customers travelling to or from South Australia should ensure they check the latest information on the respective Government websites prior to travel,” a Virgin Group spokesman said.

“Any impacted customers will be provided with options to rebook or obtain a travel credit for use at a later stage.”

State travel restrictions were continuing to have a “significant” impact on the aviation industry, according to Virgin’s spokesman.

“We’ve already seen more than 85 changes to domestic border restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said.