Coronavirus: Gold Coast most sought after destination in Australia, according to Jetstar

An Airbus A320 Captain stood down since March is thrilled to return to the air today as flights to and from the Gold Coast ramp up at an amazing rate.

TEN months ago Jetstar pilot Captain Guy Proctor was among 20,000 staff grounded as the coronavirus pandemic hit the airline industry hard.

It has been the longest stint off work during his three-decade career and he has been counting the days until lift off since. Today is that day.

The Airbus A320 Captain was stood down in March as the global coronavirus pandemic ramped up and flights were grounded, both domestic and international.

Mr Proctor will make a triumphant comeback to the skies again for a return Gold Coast-Sydney flight on Tuesday morning, helping reconnect a split nation to the Gold Coast, now the most popular destination in the Jetstar network.

He returns to work alongside about 70 other Jetstar staff on the Gold Coast thanks to Queensland reopening its borders to New South Wales and Victoria from midnight. People can travel freely to the state without a border pass, unless they’ve been in a COVID-19 hot spot — Adelaide – or overseas within 14 days.

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Jetstar pilot Guy Proctor and son

The reopening allows Jetstar to resume its busiest routes, Sydney and Melbourne to the Gold Coast.

Sydney to the Coast is currently the busiest route in Jetstar’s network with up to 65 weekly return flights in December, while Melbourne to the Coast is the second busiest, with up to 55 weekly return flights this month.

Jetstar will operate more than 140 weekly return flights in and out of the Gold Coast in December from Melbourne, Cairns, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Hobart. It translates to around 55,000 weekly seats and represents around 46 per cent of Jetstar’s pre-COVID Gold Coast capacity, according to the airline.

The pandemic at one stage had smashed Gold Coast Airport flight numbers from a high of 420 weekly to a handful. When the border announcement came last week, Jetstar experienced a surge in demand, with more than 60,000 seats between Sydney and Melbourne to Gold Coast snapped up in the first 72 hours.

It’s the most demand it has seen for a single destination since borders opened across Australia. Jetstar launches its newest route on Tuesday, Hobart to the Coast, operating three times each week.

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The Gold Coast is the most popular route in the country and Jetstar ground crew are celebrating borders reopening December 1st. Left to right they are Helen Breed, Antony Jackson, Simone Francis, and Jeda Greenlaw. Picture Glenn Hampson

While off, Mr Proctor enjoyed family time and somewhat fulfilled his desire to return to the air by flying a shark-spotting drone for Cabarita Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

He also brushed up on his skills in a flight simulator, ensuring he was ready to take the controls of his aircraft again when flights resumed.

“We’ve got a program designed to make sure pilots are current and up-to-speed before they return, so I’ve been in the simulator. You know it’s a simulator when you walk in, but once you’re busy doing something it might as well be a real aeroplane.”

The Tweed resident said he was excited to soak in the views and take to the PA to welcome passengers again.

“The best thing for me – and I find myself noticing every time I fly – is the view. It’s phenomenal out the front,” he said. “Although the view on the little drone screen is great – I’ve been looking at dolphins, turtles and the surf – it doesn’t quite fill the void left when I couldn’t see out the flight deck window. I was in control of something in the air, but yeah, I wasn’t sitting in it.

“It’s the longest I’ve ever been on the ground in 30 years of flying. It’ll be great to get back up there, doing what I really enjoy.

“We saw it (the pandemic) slowly build, we saw restrictions. We had no idea how long it was going to last so there was a lot of uncertainty, particularly the first few weeks.”

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Jetstar ground crew on the Gold Coast are happy to be back at work. Picture Glenn Hampson

Mr Proctor, who returns to work alongside more than 70 Coast Jetstar staff employed in various roles, was looking forward to helping passengers reunite with loved ones, or simply take a well deserved holiday: “It’s going to be great. I’ve seen the scenes when the NSW-Victoria border (restrictions) was relaxed earlier this month, how much it means for people to get back together after so long.

“We get to facilitate that for thousands and we’re really looking forward to that.

“We’re the largest operator into or out of the Gold Coast so we feel like a big part of the community up here.

Mr Proctor said it was rewarding to “see how much (passengers) value what we can provide”.