Highlights
- Eight flights announced from the UK, India and South Africa
- The first flight will depart New Delhi on 26 October
- The flight will carry 175 passengers
- Howard Springs facility, 25 km south of Darwin to increase quarantine capacity by 5000 till March
PM Morrison said the Government had finalised an initial programme with Qantas of eight flights over coming weeks from London, New Delhi and Johannesburg.
The first two flights will depart London on 22 October and New Delhi on 26 October. Each flight will carry 175 passengers.
“Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials will work with Qantas to ensure the most vulnerable Australians registered are given priority access to these flights,” PM Morrison said.
“We continue to encourage Australians trying to return to Australia from overseas to register with DFAT through the nearest embassy or high commission or via Smartraveller.”
Listen to what the Prime Minister announced:
LISTEN TO
Australians stuck in India ‘gingerly optimistic’ as government announces special flights from India
SBS Hindi
03:55
One of the rooms inside the Manigurr-ma residential village in Howard Springs. Source: Supplied
More quarantine places made available in Northern Territory
The PM said the federal government had also finalised arrangements with the Northern Territory government to increase the quarantine capacity which will allow around 5,000 extra people to return between now and March.
But not all would quarantine in the Top End, the PM said.
“This arrangement is intended to supplement the more significant arrangements that we have in continually lifting the caps at our major ports of entry into Australia which is now, as a result of the changes we put in place in the last national cabinet, just over 5500 weekly slots, the weekly capacity of people coming into each of those areas and going into hotel quarantine.
“Which means we're getting more and more and more Australians home every week and now we are also being able to supplement that with this additional facility which initially will be used to taking groups as a result of supported flights coming out of three locations – firstly out of United Kingdom but they are also flights that are being arranged out of India and out of South Africa.
“Not all of those will necessarily go to Howard Springs but those flights being done by Qantas particularly the UK flights, the seats on those flights are being sold by Qantas, the Qantas has the priority list of vulnerable passengers who are in the UK that [will] get the first opportunity at those seats on those flights,” the prime minister said in his press conference.
He also said the government was working with state and territory authorities to increase quarantine capacity through major airports, as well as for further facilitated flights.
“As places continue to open up that are our major points entry when we can get, in particular, Melbourne back online, that will make a big difference and we look forward that happening as soon as that can,” he said.
“We are also continuing discussions to increase the number of airports receiving Australians from overseas.”
Hardship loans available for those in financial distress
Travellers will be required to quarantine for two weeks at their own expense.
“At Howard Springs, those who come through, will obviously in the same way as others are paying for their quarantine arrangements that will be the case at Howard Springs. And it will be $2500 for an individual and $5000 for a family,” the PM said.
“The Government continues to assist vulnerable Australians overseas through consular assistance and through the Hardship Program.
Financial assistance is available to help cover the costs of flights where other sources of finance have been exhausted.
“The Government is underwriting the cost of the flights, and airfares will be available at commercial rates to passengers, with loans through DFAT available to those who need assistance.”
‘Gingerly optimistic’
Stuck in India since March this year, Australian citizen Deb Tellis says Friday’s announcement has made her gingerly optimistic but the government needs to arrange flights from Southern part of India too.
“They are too late, but I am gingerly optimistic now. They need to plan flights out of different areas around India, not just Delhi. People in the South of India have been seriously disadvantaged,” Ms Tellis told SBS Hindi, who is stuck in Bengaluru, in the Southern part of India.
“The most vulnerable, especially young mothers with kids stuck here who are missing their school, need to be given priority,” she said.
Mr Pradeep Singh, who is stuck in Ambala in northern India, told SBS Hindi that he hoped flights will be arranged soon.
“I hope they arrange more flights as soon as possible,” Mr Singh said who is waiting to return to his job in regional Victoria.
Fiona Wright, an Australian stuck in Rajasthan, in the northern part of India said these flights won't be enough.
"They need to allow more commercial flights and increase the cap on quarantine. Last week, he [prime minister] said they were working on it. They need to do it [soon] so that more people can return," Ms Wright told SBS Hindi.
Of the 38,200 Australians who have registered their presence overseas, 29,100 have told the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) they want to come home.
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