SYDNEY - Airlines in Australia and New Zealand said on Monday they would make drastic changes to their flying schedules after the countries over the weekend announced international travelers would need to self-isolate for 14 days due to the coronavirus.
Air New Zealand Ltd said job losses would be necessary as it cut long-haul capacity by 85% over the coming months, suspending flights to destinations including San Francisco, London, Buenos Aires, Honolulu and Tokyo.“We are now accepting that for the coming months at least Air New Zealand will be a smaller airline requiring fewer resources, including people,” Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran said in a statement.
“We’ve moved immediately to offer a booking waiver to our customers and we’re working through the implications for our schedule now given the expected impact on demand, with a view to announcing more detail as soon as possible,” a Qantas spokesman said in a statement. UBS analysts said the latest travel restrictions would have a significant effect on Qantas’ international traffic, which historically accounted for around 45% of revenue and 25% of earnings before interest and tax.
Fantastic news for the planet! More, please.