The Federal Government today announced a $1.2 billion support package which includes hundreds of thousands of half-price airline tickets, cheap loans for businesses, direct support to keep planes in the air and airline workers in their jobs.
The government notes demand will drive the number of tickets but expects to subsidise about 46,000 airfares a week, to a total of 800,000.
“This is our ticket to recovery – 800,000 half-price airfares to get Australians travelling and supporting tourism operators, businesses, travel agents and airlines who continue to do it tough through COVID-19, while our international borders remain closed,” Scott Morrison said, in a statement.
The routes
The government warns these might change depending on airline negotiations and demand:
Gold Coast (Queensland)
- Adelaide – Gold Coast
- Melbourne – Gold Coast
- Sydney – Gold Coast
- Canberra – Gold Coast
- Avalon – Gold Coast
Tropical North Queensland (Queensland)
- Melbourne – Cairns
- Sydney – Cairns
- Darwin – Cairns
Whitsundays and Mackay region (Queensland)
- Sydney – Proserpine
- Sydney – Hamilton Island
- Sunshine Coast (Queensland)
- Sydney – Maroochydore
- Melbourne – Maroochydore
- Adelaide – Maroochydore
Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory)
- Adelaide – Alice Springs
- Sydney – Uluru
- Brisbane – Alice Springs
- Melbourne – Alice Springs
- Perth – Alice Springs
- Sydney – Alice Springs
- Brisbane – Uluru
- Melbourne – Uluru
Launceston, Devonport and Burnie (Tasmania)
- Melbourne – Launceston
- Sydney – Launceston
- Brisbane – Launceston
- Melbourne – Devonport
- Melbourne – Burnie
Broome (Western Australia)
- Darwin – Broome
- Sydney – Broome
- Melbourne – Broome
Avalon (Victoria)
- Gold Coast – Avalon
- Sydney – Avalon
Merimbula (New South Wales)
- Melbourne – Merimbula
Kangaroo Island (South Australia)
- Adelaide – Kingscote
The flights will go on sale from airline websites from April 1
Any operator who has operated the routes in the previous two years will be eligible, but mostly Qantas, Virgin, and Jetstar.
