Tasmania-New Zealand flights to restart for first time since 1996

Flights between Tasmania and New Zealand are set to restart in January for the first time since 1996. PM Scott Morrison announced the deal on Saturday that will include 130 direct flights from Hobart each year, with three departing per week in warmer months, and two in winter. It comes shortly after the government also announced plans to allow the state to introduce hotel quarantine and start accepting Australians stranded abroad. “This has been an incredibly tough year for Australians, and particularly our tourism and hospitality sectors, but the deal will mean tourists from low-risk areas can come to sample Tasmania’s incredible experiences, sights and produce,” PM Morrison said. The plan to restart travel between the two countries will reportedly cost the federal government $50m, while state governments will contribute $10m for structural upgrades. They will mark the first regular flights since 1996, when Air NZ pulled the route due to its viability.<br/>