Marise Payne flags more rescue flights

Marise Payne says the government will consider organising new repatriation flights for Australians stranded in the UK who have been affected by Singapore and Hong Kong travel bans.

A Singapore Airlines passenger jet taxis along the tarmac as it arrives at Changi International Airport terminal in Singapore.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne says the government will consider organising new repatriation flights for Australians stranded in the United Kingdom who have been affected by Singapore and Hong Kong travel bans on passengers from Britain.

The popular transit countries have announced bans on all UK flights due to the country‘s new fast-spreading COVID-19 strain, leaving routes through the Middle East as the only options.

Senator Payne said her department would help Australians stranded in the UK to access ­alternative flights home.

“Our global diplomatic network is assisting Australians who have been affected by flight restrictions put in place by Singapore and Hong Kong in response to the new COVID-19 strain in the United Kingdom,” she said.

“This includes help to rebook on alternative flights, including Australian government-facilitated flights.

“The government will consider operating further facilitated flights for Australians whose flights have been cancelled due to border closures.”

Senator Payne said the government was continuing to organise flights from a range of countries, including the UK. The next official repatriation flights from London are due to arrive in Darwin on December 30 and January 16. Passengers will undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine at Howard Springs.

Adelaide woman Lucy Phair, who is stuck in the UK with her 11-year-old son Evan after working in the country before the pandemic struck, said the bans were “a complete disaster”.

“The Singapore and Cathay Pacific routes were the most reliable transit routes back to Australia,” she said. “Many people in the UK also had those flights booked with Air New Zealand as codeshare — flying into Auckland and then onwards to Australia. These options are all cancelled because of the bans.”

Ms Phair, whose son has cerebral palsy and is in need of medical treatment in Australia, said she was running out of money and needed to get home to resume work.

“Australians in the UK are now left to fight for seats on Gulf airlines flights,” she said.

“I was quoted €4500 ($7250) one way. How can anyone pay this when our meagre money is tied up with Singapore and Cathay in the refund process? It takes up to six weeks to see your money again. Plus we then have to pay for quarantine. ”

Another Australian woman in the UK, Karen Turner Somma, was ecstatic to book a seat on a Singapore Airlines flight home on January 10. Now she expects the flight to be cancelled.

Despite Scott Morrison’s pledge to get “as many people home, if not all, by Christmas”, there are still 39,000 Australians who are trapped overseas and want to return home.

More upheaval for #strandedAussies. @SingaporeAir bans transit of people who've been in Uk past 14 days. Another devastating blow for 1000's trying to get home for months under Australian flight caps.

— Jacquelin Magnay (@jacquelinmagnay) December 22, 2020