The Safe Travel Zone between New Zealand and New South Wales begins today with the arrival of Air New Zealand and Jetstar flights from Auckland to Sydney this afternoon.
It may just seem like baby steps for now, but these flights mark a huge step in international travel making a recovery.
YAY to that!
From today, passengers travelling from New Zealand will be able to travel to NSW, ACT, and the NT without the requirement for quarantine on arrival in Australia.
Passengers will be required to complete a health declaration stating they have been in New Zealand the preceding 14 days and health screenings will also take place on arrival in Sydney.
Air New Zealand
Welcome back Air New Zealand, we’ve missed you.
Flight NZ103 is a will be a quarantine-free flight that departed Auckland at 10:40am NZT is expected to arrive in Sydney around 12:20pm (AEDT).
“The quarantine-free flights will be for travellers originating from New Zealand who are flying from Auckland to Sydney and are not required to quarantine on arrival in Australia.”
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran
Between 16 October and 24 October, Air New Zealand will operate three quarantine flights – on 17 October, 22 October, and 24 October and all other flights will be quarantine-free. On 22 October the airline will operate both a quarantine-free and a quarantined flight. The airline is working through flights from 25 October.
The Safe Travel Zone is a one-way arrangement and those returning to New Zealand will still need to quarantine for 14 days upon return, provide payment for quarantine and register their managed isolation accommodation requirements via the New Zealand Government’s Managed Isolation and Quarantine website.
Fingers crossed for the other side of the bubble soon.
Jetstar
Jetstar’s first international flight since early April also took off this morning, with services between Auckland and Sydney resuming today.
Flight JQ204 departed Auckland at 12.00pm (NZDT) and its estimated arrival time in Sydney is 13:40pm (AEST).
The three per week return service follows the Australian government’s announcement of a Safe Travel Zone between New Zealand and New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Qantas will also operate two services a week between the two cities.
“We expect today to see families reunite after being separated for months, friends catching up to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and people getting back to their jobs.
Jetstar Group CEO, Gareth Evans
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