Flights resumed this week between Australia and Hawaiʻi. It’s a cautious start — with restrictions. And it’s also part of a gradual shift in Australian travel patterns.
The first Hawaiian Airlines flight from Sydney to Honolulu in more than 21 months was nearly full when it landed on Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean you could simply climb aboard the return flight — travel from Honolulu to Sydney is restricted to Australian citizens and permanent residents.
It was just last month that Australia allowed its citizens and permanent residents to freely travel internationally again — and only those who are vaccinated.
While airlines speak hopefully of the prospect and promise of pent-up demand, the financial damages of the pandemic have been deep.
On Thursday, Australia’s national airline forecast a loss of nearly US$800 million just for the period of July through December.
Qantas has been planning to ramp up more international routes — but the timing of the Omicron variant has led to what chief executive Alan Joyce called a “significant drop in booking momentum” when it comes to international flights.
Still, the airline says 2022 should be a year of rebound. Just this week, Qantas reopened its business class lounge at the Los Angeles International Airport for the first time since March 2020.
