Since March 20 last year, when the government closed international borders as part of its effort to battle the coronavirus pandemic, Australians have been unable to travel overseas without an exemption, international visitors have been broadly banned from entering the country and limited repatriation flights have left thousands of Australians stranded overseas.
The legislation put in place to close the borders was due to expire in December but was extended for three months until March 17. With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination now under way, questions remain on how long it will be before we are able to travel overseas for business and leisure and allow international tourists into the country again.In other troubling aviation news, Qantas today posted its half-yearly results showing the company dived to a $1.08 billion loss in the six months to December 31 after the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures forced the airline to ground most of its fleet.
Today on Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by business reporter Patrick Hatch to discuss whether there is a light on the horizon for international travel.Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe to