The federal government is pressuring state premiers to keep their borders open this year with an extraordinary new scheme to subsidise inter-state flights by 50 per cent. The half-price tickets will go on sale on April 1 as part of a $1.2billion package to boost the ailing tourism sector when JobKeeper finishes at the end of March. But flights within each state and territory are not included, meaning any premier who shuts their border will lock their businesses and workers out of the scheme.
(Image: [[|]]) These are the 13 places that Australians can fly to and from on half-price tickets from April 1.
But they must fly interstate
(Image: [[|]]) Scott Morrison (pictured on a Qantas plane on Thursday) is pressuring state premiers to keep their borders open this year with an extraordinary new scheme to subsidise inter-state flights by 50 per cent
(Image: [[|]]) Almost a million airline tickets will be go on sale at half price on April 1 under a $1.2billion package to boost the ailing the tourism sector.
Flights to the Gold Coast (pictured) could be as cheap as $49
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DM.later('bundle', function() DM.molFeCarousel.init('#p-23', 'channelCarousel', “activeClass” : “wocc”, “pageCount” : “3.0”, “pageSize” : 1, “onPos”: 0, “updateStyleOnHover”: true ); ); 'I think it is an incentive for the states to keep their borders open. And that's important, because we can't keep on going through the yoyo of the ups and downs of that,' Qantas boss Alan Joyce said on Thursday. Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said 'premiers will have to play ball with us' and warned them not close their borders at the first sign of a Covid-19 outbreak like they did last year. 'We need states and Aquaristik Fachhandel territories to do their part by agreeing to a nationally consistent approach to using border closures and lockdowns as a last resort on medical advice,' he said. Federal government ministers voiced their frustration last year when premiers including WA leader Mark McGowan and Queensland leader Annastacia Palaszczuk repeatedly closed their borders, crippling tourism. Qantas and Jetstar had to cancel 1,500 flights when states closed to Sydney residents following a handful of cases on the Northern Beaches in December. Prime Minster Scott Morrison has insisted the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine reduces the health risk so state premiers will find it harder to justify border closures. 'In 2021, what's appropriate with state borders is completely different [from last year], particularly with the vaccination program rolling out.
And both of the airlines have said pretty plainly that for this to work best the states have to keep their borders open,' he told Nine's Today Show on Thursday morning. Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said his state reserved the right to shut its border and would not guarantee keeping it open. 'We will act on the health advice…
that's been consistent the position we've taken all along and of course that was endorsed by the people of Queensland in the election last October,' he told ABC Radio National. He complained that the scheme did not allow intra-state flights. 'People want to go, in Brisbane and in the southeast, they want to go to Cairns but this scheme says no. Instead, we have to go to places like Launceston, or Merimbula.'
(Image: [[|]]) Prime Minster Scott Morrison said the package was Australia's 'ticket to recovery'.
Pictured: A tourist at the Whitsundays Tickets to and from 13 holiday hotspots will be subsidised by the federal government until July 31 and airlines will ramp up their flight schedules to deal with an expected surge in demand over the next three months. The locations on offer are the , Cairns, the Whitsundays and Mackay region (including Proserpine and Hamilton Island), the Sunshine Coast, Lasseter and Alice Springs, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, Broome, Avalon, Merimbula, and Kangaroo Island. Some 57 routes will be covered on the Qantas and Jetstar network, CEO Alan Joyce said on Thursday morning. The discount means a return ticket from Sydney to Cairns which currently costs $233 could be as little as $116.50. A return between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, which is now on sale from $130, could cost just $65. To get their half-price tickets, Australians simply need to head to the Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin websites after April 1 and they will see the dramatically reduced fares. The discount only applies to inter-state travel, not intra-state flights - but these could later be added to the scheme which is expected to evolve to match demand. There will be no limit on the number of tickets available but the government expects an average of 46,000 people per week - a total of about 800,000 - will fly on the subsidised flights. The areas involved have been chosen because they rely on tourism for their wealth and are particularly dependent on aviation for their visitor numbers. The scheme is part of a huge bail-out package for the tourism sector which employs 611,000 Australians and has been crippled by the Covid-induced international border shutdown. Amid a stark warning that 100,000 people could be fired when JobKeeper ends, the government will also give monthly payments to airlines to retain 8,600 international workers such as pilots and cabin crew until October 31 when the border is expected to re-open with every Australian vaccinated. Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka and Qantas boss Mr Joyce welcomed the package. 'This is great news for Australian aviation. This is great news for Australian tourism.
This is great news for Qantas, but particularly for Qantas employees,' Mr Joyce said. Mr Joyce said he expects 22 of 25 Qantas international routes to restart in October alongside all 13 Jetstar routes -but he's prepared to start earlier or wait longer depending on the Covid-19 situation.
(Image: [[|]]) To get their half-price tickets, Australians simply need to head to the Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin websites after April 1 and they will see the dramatically reduced fares.
Pictured: Kangaroo Island
Also in the package, companies getting JobKeeper payments will be offered a government-backed 10-year loan of up to $5million, with no repayments due for two years.
Some 350,000 employees now on JobKeeper could have their wages subsidised by the loans if their company decides to take one. Prime Minster Scott Morrison said the package was Australia's 'ticket to recovery'. 'This will take more tourists to our hotels and cafes, taking tours and exploring our backyard,' he said. 'That means more jobs and investment for the tourism and aviation sectors as Australia heads towards winning our fight against Covid-19 and the restrictions that have hurt so many businesses. 'Our tourism businesses don't want to rely on government support forever.
They want their tourists back. 'This package, combined with our vaccine roll-out which is gathering pace, is part of our National Economic Recovery Plan and the bridge that will help get them back to normal trading.' Mr Tehan urged Aussies to support fellow countrymen by booking a holiday. 'The thing our tourism operators want more than anything is tourists so we need Australians to do their patriotic duty and book a holiday this year because every dollar spent on an Australian holiday is a dollar that supports a local job and a local business,' he said. <div class=“art-ins mol-factbox news” data-version=“2” id=“mol-4eaf2e20-81d6-11eb-afed-af55ed6e3d9c” website airfare scheme will stop premiers shutting their borders