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Due to the outbreak of the Delta variant, the number of infections in Australia has surged, so it is suspended.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that starting Friday night, New Zealand will suspend quarantine-free travel arrangements with Australia for at least eight weeks because Australia is struggling with the highly contagious variant of the delta virus.
Ardern told reporters in Auckland: “We have always said that our response will evolve as the virus develops. This is not a decision we made lightly, but it is the right decision to ensure the safety of New Zealanders.”
The “travel bubble” for passengers travelling to and from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia has been suspended.
Bubbles are a rare quarantine-free arrangement in Asia, and most of these countries have closed their borders during the pandemic. The Singapore-Hong Kong bubble plan has been postponed many times.
Since the bubble opened on April 19, demand for flights between Australia and New Zealand has been lower than expected.
According to data from the aviation analysis company Cirium, this month’s scheduled flight capacity between Australia and New Zealand is about 44% of the 2019 level, far below the preliminary forecast of more than 70%.
Air New Zealand Limited and Qantas Limited are the only operators on this route. Due to the small-scale outbreak, several pauses in the bubble have weakened consumer confidence.
The travel bubble was originally free of testing and isolation, but New Zealand introduced a testing requirement this month, making it more costly for Australians to visit.
Air New Zealand said that the suspension of the travel bubble is expected to have short-term operational and financial impact on its business, but did not provide further details.
Qantas said that from July 31, most of Australia-New Zealand flights will be cancelled, and the airline will reserve a small number of flights for necessary travel and cargo.
The New Zealand government stated that it will provide managed return flights for New Zealanders from all states and territories in Australia next week. These flights will need to provide proof of a negative test result before departure. Passengers arriving from Sydney will be required to spend two weeks in government-managed isolation.
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