SYDNEY, Jan 16, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Emirates has suspended flights to
Australia’s three largest cities as the country further restricts
international arrivals over fears of new virus strains.
The Dubai-based carrier was one of the last to maintain routes into and out
of the country’s east coast throughout most of the pandemic but on Friday
evening told travellers a handful of planned flights next week would be the
last.
“Due to operational reasons, Emirates flights to/from Sydney, Brisbane and
Melbourne will be suspended until further notice,” Emirates said on its
website.
The airline will still run two flights a week to Perth, but the cuts are
another barrier for tens of thousands of stranded Australians still
attempting to return home.
Australia’s borders have effectively been closed since March to curb the
spread of the virus, with the government even limiting the number of citizens
allowed to return.
Last week travel restrictions were further tightened, with arrival numbers
slashed and all travellers into the country requiring a negative Covid-19
test before flying.
In making the changes, Prime Minister Scott Morrison cited a growing number
of people in quarantine testing positive for new strains of Covid-19.
Fears that a variant of the virus from Britain, believed to be more
contagious, had leaked into Brisbane from hotel quarantine triggered a snap
lockdown in the city last week.
“There are many unknowns and uncertainties in relation to the new strain,
and so that’s why this precautionary approach, we believe, is very sensible,”
Morrison said.
Australia continues to deal relatively well with the virus, having recorded
about 28,600 cases and 909 deaths linked to Covid-19 in a population of 25
million.