The airline resumed three-times weekly return service today between Auckland and Sydney after the Australian government’s declaration of a ‘Safe Travel Zone’ between New Zealand, New South Wales (NSW) and the Northern Territory.
Today (October 16, 2020), Jetstar announced the resumption of their first international flight since April with the restart of three-times weekly service between Auckland and Sydney. The carrier was able to resume service due to the Australian government’s announcement of a ‘Safe Travel Zone’ between New Zealand, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Jetstar’s sister airline Qantas will also operate twice-weekly service on the route. In Friday’s announcement, Jetstar Group’s CEO, Gareth Evans, said,
“Today marks an important step in restarting international travel. While it’s largely one-way travel at this stage, it’s a significant milestone which will reconnect Australia and New Zealand after our trans-Tasman flights were suspended six months ago. We hope the borders will open in both directions soon so that a true travel bubble between the two countries can form. 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. We are proud and excited to play a role reconnecting our customers with their family and friends and helping Australia and New Zealand recover. It’s also great to have more of our team back in the air, where they love to be.”
Since last May, Jetstar has been operating their ‘Fly Well’ program which encompasses a range of health and safety measures to ensure the wellbeing of their guests and team members. The program includes Fly Well packs which consist of masks and sanitizing wipes, enhanced cleaning, contactless check-in and mandatory masks on trans-Tasman flights. Additionally, all Jetstar aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters that remove 99.9% of airborne particulates, including viruses, as the cabin air is refreshed every 2-3 minutes. The governments of Australia and New Zealand have also instituted health and safety protocols, including health declaration forms and other checks.
Source: Jetstar