Qantas and Virgin Australia suspend remaining international flights

Qantas and Virgin Australia have regrounded their remaining international passenger operations after government funding for the handful of overseas routes they were flying came to an end. The Morrison government says it is reviewing whether it needs to fund further flights to get Australians home from abroad as some overseas airlines resume flying here. Under the government program, Qantas was flying a twice weekly London-Perth-Melbourne return service and a weekly Los Angeles-Melbourne service, the last of which landed on Monday morning. Meanwhile Virgin - which is in voluntary administration seeking new owners - was flying a weekly Los Angeles-Brisbane service which ended Sunday. Both airlines confirmed on Monday they had no further international passenger services scheduled following the end of the government scheme, with aircraft to be grounded and crews working the flights stood down. A spokeswoman for the Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Michael McCormack said the scheme with Qantas and Virgin was established to get Australians home as soon as possible amid the pandemic. "The government is reviewing the program noting there are now alternative commercial flight options available from London and Los Angeles," she said. Qantas will continue to fly some international freight flights and said it was ready to fly any further repatriation flights for the government as needed.<br/>