Coronavirus: Airlines beg for calm amid chaos at Sydney airport
Australia’s major airlines are scrambling to adjust their schedules as travellers race to either flee Sydney or return home from interstate to avoid quarantine.
Australia’s major airlines are scrambling to adjust their schedules as passenger change fights amid a coronavirus outbreak that has Sydney’s northern beaches region exiled from many parts of the nation.
It comes as queues are snaking through Sydney airport this morning as travellers attempt to flee NSW over fears a coronavirus outbreak in the state could trigger border closures.
Concerns state leaders could make snap border decisions – after many introduced travel restrictions for anyone from the northern beaches in Sydney – have sparked chaos at the airport this morning with travellers scrambling to leave the state.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday announced a Covid cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches had yielded 10 new cases, taking the total to 28 cases.
A Qantas representative said they will be contacting passengers affected by the border changes although they are already being inundated with calls.
They have asked passengers to not contact their call centre which is being placed under pressure.
“We are seeing a high level of inquiry from customers in Sydney looking to change their travel plans, so we’d ask anyone not travelling in the next 14 days to please avoid calling our contact centre to help us manage these volumes,” they said.
“Customers can manage their booking directly via qantas.com and jetstar.com or via the Qantas app.”
Virgin Australia has already started making changes to its schedule as it meets the demand of those wanting to return from Sydney to avoid quarantine.
A Virgin Australia spokesman said their scheduling changes would be flexible to deal with passengers, either wanting leave Sydney or return from interstate.
“While New South Wales services are currently operating as normal, changes to customer demand and booking trends may require us to adjust our forward schedule,” the spokesman said.
“Any impacted customers will be provided with options to re-book on alternative services or be able obtain a travel credit for use at a later stage.”
Queensland has announced that travellers to the state from Sydney’s northern beaches will have to quarantine for 14 days from midnight tonight.
Victorian health minister Martin Foley has said nobody should be travelling to or from Sydney and that from tonight a permit system will be in place. No travel will be allowed from tonight from the northern beaches hotspots.
One passenger said he was supposed to relocate to Perth next week, but changed his plans to return to Western Australia today.
“When we saw the emergence of COVID we thought there was a good chance the border would close or harsher restrictions (would be enforced),” he told the Nine Network’s Today Show.
“We had to make the call to get back as soon as we can knowing we may need to isolate,” he said.
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