Qantas swoops on Norfolk Island as Air NZ comes up against border restrictions

Qantas is launching two Norfolk Island routes after Air NZ’s services to the small South Pacific island were hampered by Australian border restrictions. From Friday Qantas will operate six flights per week to the island, three from Sydney and three from Brisbane, for three months, and perhaps longer. Despite Norfolk Island being part of Australian territory its connection to Australia’s mainland has been serviced by Air New Zealand which had been operating return services from the island to Sydney and Brisbane. That was until Australian state and federal governments imposed border restrictions on New Zealanders due to a recent community outbreak of Covid-19 in Auckland. The new rules meant crew operating domestic flights in Australia from across the Tasman were required to complete 14 days' managed quarantine, or be Australia-based. As a result Air New Zealand’s Norfolk services were cancelled and handed over to codeshare partner Qantas, including a dozen flights this week alone. Customers were automatically rebooked onto Qantas. Story has more.<br/>