Qantas has released a statement via its website announcing measures to strengthen its ability to deal with the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
International flight cancellations are extended to the end of July. Domestic and Trans-Tasman cancellations are also extended until the end of June, but some capacity can be added back if domestic and Trans-Tasman restrictions ease in the coming weeks.
The current stand down of Qantas employees would now be extended until at least the end of June, the statement said. The airline has also secured a further AU$550m (R6,51bn) in debt funding.
Qantas Group ceo, Alan Joyce, said: “We’re expecting demand recovery to be gradual and it will be some time before total demand reaches pre-crisis levels. That means we need to think about what the Qantas Group should look like on the other side of this crisis in order to succeed. Fleet, network and capital expenditure will all have to be reviewed but our commitment to serve communities across Australia will not change.”
