Jetstar suspends all Darwin flights, as Qantas also makes major cuts to NT services

Jetstar has suspended all Darwin services as part of its coronavirus response, and Qantas has also announced major cuts to its Territory services.

Jetstar has suspended all Darwin services as part of its coronavirus response, and Qantas has also announced major cuts to its Territory services. Picture: David Caird

JETSTAR has suspended all Darwin services as part of its coronavirus response.

Qantas has also announced major cuts to its Territory services.

The changes will take effect from April 1 and will be in place until at least the end of May at this stage.

The cuts are in line with the Qantas Group’s decision to reduce domestic flights nationwide by 60 per cent.

The changes are:

Suspended regional Qantas routes:

• Adelaide to Uluru; Darwin (direct).
• Alice Springs to Uluru; Brisbane; Melbourne: Perth.
• Uluru to Cairns
• Darwin to Adelaide (direct); Uluru; Broome; Melbourne.

Revised Qantas main line network routes:

• Sydney to Darwin (7 return services per week, down from 11)
• Brisbane-Darwin (3 return services per week, down from 7)
• Adelaide-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, nil change)
• Sydney-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, nil change)
• Darwin-Alice Springs (7 return services per week, down from 14)

JETSTAR

Jetstar domestic

• Suspended routes: All Darwin services
• Revised routes: Uluru (Ayers Rock) to Sydney (6 return services per week, down from 7)

The Qantas Group on Thursday outlined the customer and employee impact of a huge drop in travel demand triggered by the public health response to the coronavirus crisis.

The plan to cut 90 per cent of international flying and about 60 per cent of domestic flying were announced by Qantas and Jetstar earlier this week.

Massive Qantas cuts to flights in Central Australia

Qantas said with the Federal Government now recommending against all overseas travel from Australia, regularly scheduled international flights will continue until late March to assist with repatriation and will then be suspended until at least the end of May.

Screengrabs of Jetstar’s announcement suspending all Darwin services on the Qantas Group website’s media page on Thursday

“Customer contact centres are currently experiencing long wait times from people seeking to change their travel plans as a result of the coronavirus. To help manage the demand we ask that customers only call if they have travel within the next 48 hours,” Qantas said.

“To avoid further inconvenience, we’re converting all bookings on cancelled flights to a travel credit, which can be used anywhere on our network. Affected customers will be contacted directly from next Monday. Any customers travelling before the end of May who wish to change their booking are also eligible to receive a travel credit instead.

“If flights were booked through a travel agency or third-party website (e.g. Webjet, Booking.com), customers will need to contact them directly to make changes to their booking.”