Sydney COVID cases: Flights full as travellers flee before border closures

Sydneysiders fled the state in droves today in the hope of keeping their Christmas commitments, with every seat on direct flights to Adelaide or Brisbane snapped up before lunch.

Planes leaving Sydney today were packed with people making mad dashes interstate in anticipation of more border closures.

Sydneysiders fled the state in the hope of keeping their Christmas commitments, while tourists in town from interstate made a beeline for home.

Every seat on direct flights to Adelaide or Brisbane were snapped up before lunch, with the final ticket to Adelaide going for $861 around 11am.

The last seats to Hobart were selling for between $811 and $833 each and direct flights to Launceston were sold out by yesterday afternoon.

Courtney Deeth waits to check in at the domestic terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Gold Coast woman Courtney Deeth, 28, was in Sydney visiting her Sutherland Shire family for Christmas before making the gut wrenching decision to fly home early.

Ms Deeth watched flight after flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast sell out online before biting the bullet and snapping up one for herself, for fear of being stranded in Sydney or being forced to quarantine if the Queensland border restrictions tighten.

Passengers at Brisbane Airport after arriving from Sydney today. Picture: Richard Walker

“I haven’t seen my family all year, so it was a really hard decision to leave and miss family Christmas,” Ms Deeth said.

“I didn’t know what to do, but I just can’t afford to quarantine and I don’t want to spend two weeks in a hotel by myself.”

Tasmanian couple Matt and Emily Moore, 30 and 28, landed in Sydney and hadn’t even left the airport before turning around and flying home on the next available flight.

Matt and Emily Moore, 30 and 28 at the Domestic terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The couple had planned to spend Christmas with family on Sydney’s northern beaches at Frenchs Forest.

“It was a horrific decision to fly home without even seeing my mum, sister, nieces and nephews who I haven’t seen all year,” Mr Moore said.

“We spent all yesterday crying when we heard about the coronavirus outbreak on the northern beaches, knowing we wouldn’t be able to see our family.

“We are absolutely devastated.”

Airlines were inundated with travellers attempting to cancel or change flights all day.

Passengers who were bound for Perth largely cancelled their flights after the Western Australian government slammed the border shut to NSW residents.

Passenger Amy Ku arrives from Sydney after Western Australia initiated a hard border with NSW in the wake of fresh Covid cases. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

“While NSW services are currently operating as normal, changes to customer demand and booking trends may require us to adjust our forward schedule,” a Virgin Australia Group spokesman said

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

A passenger is escorted by WA Police after their arrival from Sydney after Western Australia initiated a hard border with NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

The airlines are still coming to grips with the huge influx of bookings and cancellations before they will make wholesale changes to flight schedules.

The head of the country’s peak body for the tourism and aviation industries, Margy Osmond, said the northern beaches COVID-19 outbreak will have a “distinctly chilling effect on people’s willingness to travel” this Christmas.

Passengers wait to check in at the domestic terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

“Anywhere on the NSW coast was in huge demand,” Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said.

“The vast bulk of NSW people planning to travel over Christmas were staying in NSW.

“There will be an increase of people who were planning to holiday in NSW that are now less willing.

“It’s a mega blow to the confidence of travellers, who are nervous all over again about the virus and the implications of border restrictions.”

The airlines are fielding a huge number of booking changes online.

BORDER RESTRICTIONS FOR NSW (as at 2.20pm, December 18)

TAS: 14 days quarantine for people who have visited the Northern Beaches Council area as well as Kirribilli, Peakhurst and Penrith since December 11.

WA: 14 days quarantine for all NSW residents.

QLD: 14 days quarantine for anyone who has visited the Northern Beaches Council area since December 11. Those arriving after 1am on December 19 in Queensland will go into hotel quarantine at their own expense.

NT: 14 days quarantine for those who have visited the Northern Beaches Council area since December 11.

VIC: Ban on travellers from northern beaches and other Sydney hotpots. NSW travellers will need a permit from midnight Saturday, December 19.

SA: Open – no restrictions.

ACT: Open – no restrictions.