Introduction
The Qantas Group has announced further cuts to its international flying, reducing capacity by almost a quarter for the next six months.
The latest cuts follow the spread of the Coronavirus into Europe and North America over the past fortnight, as well as its continued spread through Asia, which has resulted in a sudden and significant drop in forwarding travel demand.
These additional changes will bring the total international capacity reduction for Qantas and Jetstar from 5 percent to 23 percent versus the same time last year and extend these cuts until mid-September 2020.
Summary of Qantas Group Network Changes
| Route | Change | Effective dates |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney-Tokyo (Haneda) | B747 replaced by smaller A330 | March 30 |
| Melbourne-Singapore | – 7 return flights per week cancelled – B787 replaced by larger A330 on 7 return flights per week | – April 20 – May 04 |
| Brisbane-Chicago | Route launch postponed | |
| Brisbane-San Francisco | Route suspended (3 return flights per week) | April 18 |
| Sydney-San Francisco | B787 replaced by larger B747 | April 18 |
| Melbourne-San Francisco | Route suspended (4 return flights per week) | April 18 |
| Sydney-Dallas/Fort Worth | A380 replaced by smaller B787 | April 20 |
| Melbourne-Los Angeles | A380 replaced by smaller B787 | June 01 |
| Sydney-Vancouver | Seasonal service suspended (3 return flights per week) | June – July |
| Sydney-London (Heathrow) | – Flights to operate via Perth – A380 replaced by smaller B787 | April 20 |
| Sydney-Santiago | Delaying planned B787 introduction and continuing with B747 | August 01 |
Jetstar Airways – Summary of New Changes
| Routes | Change | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne-Bangkok | Route suspended | May 01 |
| Sydney/Melbourne-Ho Chi Minh | Flights reduced by over 50 per cent | May 01 |
| Japan routes | Flights reduced by almost 40 per cent | May 20 |
| Brisbane-Bali | Minor flight reductions | May 01 |
Jetstar Airlines in Asia – Summary of changes
Jetstar Asia (based in Singapore) will cut capacity by almost 40 percent with reductions in frequencies across the network. Singapore to Taipei and Osaka routes will be suspended.
Jetstar Japan has suspended its international services to Hong Kong, Taipei, and Shanghai until at least the end of May and will reduce flights to Manila. Further reductions will be made to its Japanese domestic network.
Jetstar Pacific (based in Vietnam) has also suspended all international routes to the end of April, with the exception of Ho Chi Minh-Bangkok where flights have been halved. Further reductions are being made to its Vietnamese domestic network.
