Qantas grounds flights as Victoria-NSW border closes

Qantas and Jetstar have begun cutting flights in and out of Melbourne in response to the NSW border closure.

Melbourne’s COVID-19 outbreak has cost the city a chance to farewell Qantas’s game-changing 747 jets which will operate joy flights in other major east coast capitals next week. Picture: Jay Town

Just as airlines had begun to ramp up domestic flights, Qantas and Jetstar are reducing services to and from Melbourne following the decision to close the NSW-Victoria border from 11.59pm on Tuesday.

A Qantas spokeswoman said they would continue to operate limited flights for essential travel for the rest of July.

Sydney-Melbourne would be the most affected route but several flights a day were still expected to operate.

Affected customers are being contacted.

A Virgin Australia spokeswoman said they were still reviewing their flight schedule and would contact passengers directly if there was any change to their booking.

Any passengers who could no longer travel or wanted to change their flight could do so free of charge, she said.

A Melbourne Airport spokeswoman said any restriction on passengers flying in and out of the city was a matter for the airlines and the Department of Health and Human Services, which did not respond to queries.

Melbourne-Sydney is typically Australia’s busiest and most lucrative air route, with more than nine million people flying between the country’s two biggest cities in 2019.

Even at the height of the coronavirus crisis in April, 17,100 people still flew between Melbourne and Sydney, down 97.7 per cent on the same time a year ago.

The COVID-19 outbreak being experienced in Melbourne has already cost the city a farewell flight for Qantas’s Boeing 747-400s before they head off to early retirement in the Californian desert.

Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra will host one-hour joy flights by the “Queen of the Skies” next week, with tickets to go on sale at midday on Wednesday at a cost of $400 for an economy seat and $747 for business.

Qantas employees have been invited to go into a draw for a seat in the staff-only premium economy cabin.

Any profits from the flights will be donated to the Heritage Aircraft Restoration Services Aviation Museum in Wollongong and the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach.

Qantas 747 Fleet Captain Owen Weaver said the game-changing jets held a special place in the hearts of many Australians.

“The 747 has been a magnificent aircraft and it’s fitting that we celebrate the end of five decades of history-making moments for the national carrier and aviation in Australia,” he said.

“Since the first 747 joined the Qantas fleet in 1971, these aircraft have operated numerous rescue flights to bring Australians home during times of crisis and provided a safe passage for many travellers taking their first international flight to or from Australia.”

The five remaining 747s were to have been retired at the end of the year, but the crisis brought the date forward.