Qantas sees domestic passenger traffic bouncing back to normal

Qantas Airways said its passenger traffic in Australia has almost completely recovered, highlighting the potential for speedier travel rebounds than previously expected more than a year into the pandemic. Capacity on domestic routes will top 90% of pre-Covid levels this quarter, the airline said in a statement Thursday, up from its previous forecast of reaching 80%. Low-cost unit Jetstar will have even more capacity than before the pandemic. Qantas said it has seen “extremely strong” demand for leisure trips and a return of business travel, which is back to about 65% of normal. “We’re now seeing really positive signs of sustained recovery,” CEO Alan Joyce said. “This is the longest run of relative stability we’ve had with domestic borders for over a year and it’s reflected in the strong travel demand we saw over Easter and the forward bookings that are flowing in.” The pace of the recovery shows there’s ready demand for travel in larger countries that have suppressed the coronavirus -- Australia has only about 150 active cases -- or are rapidly rolling out vaccinations. With international travel still paralyzed, it’s a different story for carriers with no local market, such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, and smaller countries more reliant on overseas flights. Qantas said all of its domestic crew are back at work, as are Jetstar’s. <br/>