Turbulent times: Australian air fares predicted to soar as bans on Russian oil lift jet fuel prices

Qantas chief says airlines have no choice but to increase prices and believes travel will be impacted

Travellers are facing steep air fare hikes as bans on Russian oil cause jet fuel prices to surge, Australian aviation experts warn.

Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, has said the average fare would increase by 7% as a result of the increased crude oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but others predict the price rises could be higher.

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Qantas boss Alan Joyce compares Western Australia border restrictions to North Korea

Chief executive takes a swipe at state premier Mark McGowan saying: ‘I think we should all be a bit outraged by it’

Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, has compared Western Australia’s ongoing border closure to the totalitarian state of North Korea.

Speaking on 3AW on Friday, Joyce lamented there wasn’t a plan in WA for when the state would re-welcome domestic travellers after the initial reopening date of 5 February was scrapped indefinitely last month.

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Mothballed planes stored in the Australian desert being returned to service – video

For more than a year Alice Springs airport has been the temporary home for a host of aircraft as airlines parked parts of the fleets in the Australian desert. The dry conditions and low humidity reduce the potential for corrosion on the planes, with carriers including Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines storing planes on the site. Qantas stored part of its fleet at Victorville Airport in California's Mojave desert due to having an engineering group already based in Los Angeles two hours away. Alice Springs aerial footage courtesy of Stefan Drury, and Immanuel Debeer of Flight Hacks.

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‘There could be snakes’: planes mothballed by Covid prepare to fly again

In deserts in Australia and the US, engineers are dusting off aircraft, testing engines and ridding them of rattlesnakes and insects

In the red dust of the Australian desert, more than a hundred shiny planes are lined up nose to tail, an aviation long-term parking lot.

Hundreds more form geometric patterns in California’s Mojave Desert, where engineers whack the wheel hubs of Qantas A380s to scare off rattlesnakes.

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NSW Covid update: state to trial seven-day home quarantine for international arrivals

Tourism minister announces pilot scheme as NSW records 1,284 new Covid cases and 12 deaths

New South Wales will introduce a home quarantine “pilot” for international arrivals as part of a plan to begin opening international borders even as parts of the state returned to lockdown.

The pilot, which will be run as a partnership between the NSW government and the commonwealth, will trial a seven-day home quarantine program for about 175 fully vaccinated people.

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‘Why are you crying?’: Qantas ad promoting vaccination hits hard for Australians unable to travel

With images of people jetting off to see loved ones overseas, the ad offers a glimpse of what many have been missing

Qantas has released a new ad that promotes getting a Covid-19 vaccine, and it tugs at the heartstrings of Australians longing to travel again.

The ad appeals to those who have been separated from loved ones overseas, with scenes of what the future might offer when vaccination rates are high enough.

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Qantas mandates full Covid-19 vaccination for all its employees

Frontline staff must be inoculated by 15 November, with remainder of staff given until 31 March

Qantas will require all of its employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, as debate about mandatory vaccination in Australian workplaces intensifies.

By 15 November, all frontline employees, including cabin crew, pilots and airport workers, will need to be fully vaccinated. All remaining employees will have until 31 March 2022 to get vaccinated.

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Australia news live: passenger on India flight tests positive for coronavirus; Singapore next potential travel bubble

One passenger onboard Saturday’s repatriation flight from India tests positive for Covid in Howard Springs quarantine facility in Darwin. Follow all the latest news live

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Health Minister Greg Hunt has stepped up to speak at a press conference in Somerville in Victoria, giving an update on the vaccination program.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian earlier today expressed surprise at a legal loophole that allows students to bring knives into schools.

It comes after a 14-year-old boy at Glenwood High School in Sydney’s North West faces serious charges after allegedly stabbing a 16-year-old boy with a “religious knife.”

Students should not be allowed to take knives into school under any circumstances and I think it doesn’t pass the common sense test.

Even if they’re not using weapons, others might take them from them so I was very taken back when I learnt that.

Schools in NSW are among the safest places in the community, and Glenwood High School is one of those schools.

We are currently working with the department and community representatives to discuss how best to enable students to meet aspects of their religious faith and, at the same time, to ensure our school remains a safe place.

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Australia coronavirus live: NSW reports eight more Covid cases as premier modifies Christmas restrictions in Sydney

Sydney to keep 10-visitor rule but from 24-26 December children under 12 not counted; lockdown continues in half of northern beaches, but small Christmas gatherings allowed. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

The Northern Territory has revoked its categorisation of New South Wales region Illawarra as a coronavirus hotspot.

Health minister Natasha Fyles made the announcement this afternoon following an emergency cabinet meeting, saying the decision was made because there were no cases from the northern beaches there.

This is based on the evidence that they’ve had no cases from the northern beaches coronavirus cluster. I know people are anxiously awaiting other local government areas, but the advice from our chief health officer Hugh Heggie ... is that it is safe to remove that hotspot declaration for the Illawarra Shire local government area. The others will remain in place.

Victoria is reminding people from greater Sydney, the Central Coast or the northern beaches to not attempt to enter Victoria, just in case you might have forgotten.

If you have been in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, or Sydney's Northern Beaches since Dec 11 please do not attempt to enter Victoria. Only people who have exclusively visited or travelled through other parts of NSW can apply for a Border Crossing Permit to enter Vic. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/bad8irfvqn

As soon as it’s safe to open back up to NSW, we will. For now, we’re making sure Victoria can stay safe and stay open.

For more information on the NSW outbreak and a map of locations in each zone, visit: https://t.co/sDimRWNc6F (2/2)#COVID19Vic #COVID19nsw

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Singapore launches Covid-secure luxury cruises … to nowhere

City state follows Qantas in offering jaunts with no destination with ships half full and masks mandatory

Singapore is launching Covid-secure cruise holidays to nowhere, in the latest attempt to offer a long-distance travel experience with no stops.

Australian airline Qantas drew criticism from environmental groups last month after advertising a seven-hour round trip from Sydney including fly-pasts of famous sights including Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.

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Qantas staff ‘incredibly fearful’ about flights to rescue Australians trapped overseas

Airline turns to New Zealand after failing to get sufficient volunteers from Australia amid coronavirus fears

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  • Qantas is moving to recruit cabin staff from its New Zealand subsidiary to operate scheduled flights to rescue Australians trapped overseas, after it failed to get sufficient volunteers from its Australian cabin staff to operate planned flights.

    Amid news that 50 Qantas and Jetstar staff have contracted coronavirus there has been growing anxiety among Qantas staff about plans to resume flights to Los Angeles, London, Auckland and Hong Kong later this week.

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    Coronavirus Australia latest: at a glance

    A summary of major developments in the coronavirus outbreak across Australia

    • Follow our Australia coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates

    • Follow the latest global coronavirus updates in our international live blog

    Key Australian developments in the global coronavirus outbreak on Thursday include:

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    Qantas repays more than $7m to staff it underpaid for up to eight years

    Airline has so far paid back 638 head-office staff, Fair Work Ombudsman says, and agreed to give every affected worker an additional $1,000

    The Fair Work Ombudsman has said Qantas is paying back millions of dollars to hundreds of workers it underpaid for up to eight years.

    The airline had so far paid back $7.1m to 638 staff at head office who were underpaid between June 2011 and June 2019, the ombudsman said on Friday.

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    ‘We saw a double sunrise’: London-Sydney flight touches down after 19 hours

    Qantas Dreamliner lands as part of trial for what would be the longest commercial route

    A Qantas flight from London to Sydney has touched down safely after 19 hours and 19 minutes, as part of a trial for what would be the world’s longest-ever commercial route.

    The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took off on Thursday morning UK time and landed in Sydney at lunchtime on Friday. “We saw a double sunrise,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said after stepping off the flight. Qantas named the effort “Project Sunrise” after the airline’s endurance flights during the second world war.

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    Qantas 737 cracks: airline pulls three Boeing planes from service

    Aircraft grounded after hairline cracks found between wing and fuselage

    Qantas has pulled three of its Boeing 737 planes from service after finding hairline cracks but have said they will not ground all 737s they fly.

    Three planes have now been affected by cracks in the “pickle fork” structure between the wing and the fuselage. On Thursday, the aircraft engineers union said the airline should ground the entire 737 fleet.

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    Qantas hails ‘historic’ moment after Dreamliner completes 19-hour non-stop flight

    Qantas plane lands after record New York-to-Sydney flight carrying 50 passengers and crew, plus a ‘comfortable’ 70 minutes of fuel

    Qantas has completed a historic non-stop test flight from New York to Sydney, researching the potential impacts on pilots, crew and passengers of what would be the world’s longest commercial airplane journey.

    Carrying 50 passengers and crew, QF7879 on a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down in Sydney on Sunday morning after a 16,200-kilometre (10,066-mile) journey lasting 19 hours and 16 minutes.

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    The Veronicas hit back after being kicked off Qantas plane over bag dispute

    Sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso say reporting of incident ‘in conflict with video’ evidence, and they will take legal action over ‘intimidating and confusing’ removal from flight

    Pop duo the Veronicas have disputed the account of their removal from a Sydney plane over an “incredibly intimidating and confusing” cabin baggage dispute, and are taking legal action.

    Sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso were asked to leave Qantas QF516, which was bound for Brisbane on Sunday morning, amid an argument with cabin crew.

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    Qantas overhauls frequent flyer program, making economy cheaper

    Move will free up extra 1m seats on high demand routes but business and premium seats will require more points

    Qantas frequent flyer point users will spend less getting economy seats but more getting business and first class upgrades under changes announced on Thursday.

    In what the airline described as the “single biggest overhaul” to the frequent flyer point system since it was established, the national airline has rebalanced the scales in favour of the cheap seats.

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