Qantas / Jetstar to Cut International Capacity by 90%

As a result of significant falls in travel demand and new government restrictions across multiple jurisdictions in recent days, Qantas and Jetstar have decided to make further and much larger cuts to domestic and international flying schedules.

To be phased in from the end of March 2020 onwards:

- Total group international capacity will be cut by around 90 per cent until at least the end of May 2020. This is up from a 23 per cent reduction for the fourth quarter of FY20 announced last week and largely reflects the demand impact of severe quarantine requirements on people’s ability to travel overseas.

- Total group domestic capacity will be cut by around 60 per cent until at least the end of May 2020. This is a major increase from the 5 per cent reduction for the fourth quarter of FY20 and reflects a rapid decline in forward travel demand due to government containment measures, corporate travel bans and a general pullback from everyday activities across the community.

- This represents the grounding of around 150 aircraft, including almost all of the group’s wide-body fleet.

- Previously announced cuts in place from end-May through to mid-September remain in place and are likely to be increased, depending on demand.

Qantas is expected to publish the route-by-route details of these changes across Qantas and Jetstar in the coming days.

Despite the deep cuts, the national carrier’s critical role in transporting people and goods on key international, domestic, routes will be maintained. This includes using some domestic passenger aircraft for freight-only flights to replace lost capacity from regular scheduled services. Qantas’ fleet of freighters will continue to be fully utilised.

The Group has issued a wide-ranging booking waiver for customers wanting to suspend their travel plans. Customers with existing bookings on any domestic or international flight until 31 May 2020, who no longer wish to travel, can cancel their flight and retain the value of the booking as a travel credit voucher. This needs to be processed by 31 March 2020.

Customers who make a new domestic or international booking and later decide they no longer wish to travel, can cancel their flight and retain the value of the booking as a Qantas travel credit or Jetstar travel voucher. This applies to bookings made from 10 March 2020 until 31 March 2020 for travel before 31 May 2020.

If flights were booked through a travel agency or third-party website, customers will need to contact that website directly to make changes to their booking.

Qantas has said that customers should not call the contact centres as due to high demand, they are experiencing long call wait times.

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