Michael McCormack announces 2000 more Australians a week to be allowed to fly home

The number of Australians allowed to return home from overseas has been increased from 4000 to 6000 a week.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has announced an increase in the number of Australians allowed to return home from 4000 a week to 6000.

He said New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia would each be asked to take an extra 500 returning travellers a week.

South Australia would be asked to accept an additional 360 and Mr McCormack said he also wanted to know how many travellers Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT could handle.

Victoria would remain exempt due to its ongoing COVID crisis.

“We want more Australians to come home and every capital city airport has the capacity to do just that,” Mr McCormack said.

He encouraged Queensland to consider allowing some of those travellers to return and quarantine on the Gold Coast and in Cairns.

“There are plenty of empty hotel rooms in these capital cities and I want them filled with returning Australians,”

State premiers and chief ministers had been written to today, in an effort to increase the numbers of returning travellers.

An estimated 30,000 Australians currently overseas had registered their interest in returning home.

“It’s been a very difficult situation for some trying to get home and we acknowledge that,” said Mr McCormack.

“The premiers know it’s time to get Australians home and I just hope the Victorian situation improves so (Premier) Dan Andrews can take his share too.”

He said there was scope for the figure to increase further based on the ability of the states to manage the numbers.

Airlines have been calling for the caps to be eased to make flights to Australia sustainable, with some services carrying as few as 25 people.

The Board of Airline Representatives of Australia has led the calls, with executive director Barry Abram pointing out there was capacity for 30,000 people a week to return to Australia.

“Australians overseas would benefit the most from a quarantine capacity plan across Australia that allowed international airlines to operate flights with more commercially viable passenger loads,” Mr Abrams said.

“A target average of at least 100 passengers per arriving flight, while still difficult financially, is far better than 30 or less.”

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker warned last week the airline could be forced to suspend services to Australia if the severe caps continued to limit passengers to the point it was not economically viable to fly 16 hours from Doha to Australia.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi has called for the city to again accept international arrivals with the Department of Corrections now overseeing the quarantine program.