Lisa Wilkinson backtracks after air hostie jibe on Sunday Project

The Sunday Project host made a joke about air hosties live on air – but moments later, she backtracked and issued an apology for her remarks.

Lisa Wilkinson was forced to apologise after taking a cheeky swipe at air hosties in a segment about recent quarantine blunders.

The Sunday Project host was grilling infectious diseases expert, Robert Booy, about NSW’s most recent coronavirus case, a hotel worker who is believed to have caught the virus from a US flight crew.

Lisa described the cabin crew workers as a “high risk group” and claimed they enjoy “significant exemptions” – a point Mr Booy did not agree with.

“Well, they’re probably not high risk because we’ve not had an example before and so if we start to get more and more problems with flight crews, well and good,” the University of Sydney professor said.

“I know flight crew and I know what they do – they sleep. They usually spend a day or two and they’re off again. They don’t mix and dance and go out to parties. They’re not actually a high risk.

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Lisa Wilkinson’s was interviewing infectious diseases expert, Robert Booy, when she made a comment about air hosties. Picture: Channel 10

But Lisa quipped back, cheekily responding: “You obviously know different flight crews to me.”

Co-host Joel Creasy agreed, saying “yeah same”, as the trio enjoyed an on-screen chuckle.

But the tone quickly changed, with Lisa suddenly issuing an apology to “all the flight crews out there”.

As the segment – which also discussed the handling of the two travellers who skipped hotel quarantine in Sydney and flew to Melbourne on Saturday – came to a close, the presenter circled back to clarify what she meant.

“I feel like I should follow up there,” she said. “I know so many great flight crews, none of them are Qantas that would do the wrong thing. It’s just some of those other overseas flight carriers that might not be doing the right thing.”

After apologising, she circled back to the topic later in the show to explain her comments. Picture: Channel 10

Her comments follow NSW Police issuing a statement that confirmed the travellers were able to avoid hotel quarantine after flying in from Germany because of their error.

In a statement this afternoon, police admitted fault, saying that they “incorrectly allowed the two travellers to proceed to Melbourne”.

“Police have conducted a review after two German Nationals flew to Melbourne after arriving in Sydney on an International flight in contravention of Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order 2020,” the statement read.

“The pair – a 53-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy – arrived into Sydney International Airport about 9.45am yesterday (Saturday 5 December 2020) on a flight from Tokyo, Japan, and were screened by NSW Health.

“After being cleared, all travellers were directed to board a bus to hotel quarantine before the pair advised police that they were booked on a flight to Melbourne.

“Police made inquiries as to travel and exemptions, which subsequently allowed the pair to travel to Melbourne on a domestic flight under standard protocols for exempt travellers.

“On arrival in Melbourne, Victoria Health advised NSW Health that the pair were not in possession of an approved exemption and had been escorted to hotel quarantine, where they remain.

“The NSW Police Force has since conducted a review into the circumstances of the incident and identified police had incorrectly allowed the two travellers to proceed to Melbourne.

“Police practices and systems at the airport have also been reviewed and strengthened as a result of this incident.”

The remark came after police admitted to a hotel quarantine bungle which saw two German travellers arrive in Melbourne without completing their compulsory two-week isolation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

On Friday, NSW Health issued an alert after a hotel worker tested positive for coronavirus, despite having no contact with guests in quarantine.

The confirmed cased sparked a testing blitz and forced hundreds of train and light rail passengers into isolation.

The woman is believed to have become infected while cleaning a hotel room in which the aircrew had stayed.

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