One-way 'travel bubble' opens between Australia and New Zealand

One-way 'travel bubble' opens between Australia and New Zealand

By Onlykhabar News Media Fri 16 October, 2020 ( about 5 years ago ) 🎤630 Viewerstravel

The first passengers from New Zealand have arrived in Australia under new "travel bubble" arrangements between the two countries.

None of the passengers on the flight from Auckland to Sydney will be required to quarantine in Australia. However they will have to pay for their own quarantine in a hotel when they return to New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand are among the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to loosen restrictions on international travel since Covid-19 travel bans came into effect earlier this year. At the moment, the bubble is one-sided, with Australians not allowed to enter New Zealand. Singapore and Hong Kong announced on Thursday that they had agreed to quarantine-free travel between the two cities. They did not say when travel would begin. 

The bubble currently applies only to the state of New South Wales and the Northern Territory, but Australian officials said they hoped to expand to other states soon. But a holiday in Australia could be expensive. Upon their return, New Zealand passengers will have to quarantine at a cost of NZ$3,100 ($2,045; £1,586) for the first person and more for additional family members. Under the deal, New Zealanders can travel quarantine-free to Australia if they have not been to a Covid-19 hotspot for 14 days. About 90% of those travelling with Air New Zealand on Friday were booked one-way, the airline said.

Air New Zealand, Qantas and Jetstar all had flights scheduled to arrive in Sydney on Friday. Since March, Australia's borders have been closed to everyone except returning Australian citizens and residents and those with special permission. Upon arrival, passengers from New Zealand are kept separate from other passengers, who will be required to spend two weeks in quarantine. New Zealand has recorded 1,880 cases and 25 deaths from Covid-19, while Australia has seen over 27,000 infections and 904 deaths. The majority of Australia's cases have been in the state of Victoria, which enacted tough lockdowns to bring the numbers under control. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 290 airlines, expects traffic to be 66% below the level it was in 2019. The IATA estimates that it will be at least 2024 before air traffic reaches pre-pandemic levels.

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By Onlykhabar News Media Fri 16 October, 2020 🎤630 Viewerstravel
TAGS: New Zealand Australia Travel
One-way 'travel bubble' opens between Australia and New Zealand

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