Locked Down Under – Australians cannot Travel Outside the country

While many countries have placed certain restrictions on visitors,  Australia has closed both the exit and entry doors. Australians have faced big difficulties getting home after strict quotas were imposed on people allowed to enter the country.

The ban on Australians leaving their own country is another very strict edict. The Australian Government has quietly extended its ban on its citizens leaving the country. The controversial order was passed in March. It has now been extended to December 17. This is bad news for airlines and even worse news for Australian citizens who need to travel.

Start dreaming about your next adventure and save up to 30% on hotels with Tripadvisor

Government Extends outward travel ban

The Australian Government had declared a human biosecurity emergency period in March, initially banning outbound travel for three months. Since then, there have been various extensions to this order.

“The extension of the emergency period is an appropriate response to that risk,”-Health Minister Greg Hunt

The extension is a further blow to airlines already struggling to maintain services into Australia. Apart from this, citizens are also put in serious hardship.

Blow to Aviation Business

In December 2019, about 4 million people flew in and out of Australia. Sixty-one international airlines operated scheduled services into all Australian airports. The average load capacity across all international airlines exceeded 80%.  This happy-mix included both the big airlines and small bespoke players.

At present, international flying into Australia is a shadow of its former self, with seventeen of those sixty-one airlines operating international services into Australia having ceased operations. The average passenger loads are down at 26%. All this, however, doesn’t seem to have ruffled the government in any way. Border restrictions within the states of the country have accelerated the decline of passenger movements and made the situation worse.

 

Who can travel?

It all depends on how urgent your need to travel is, and how well connected you are. If you fall into one of the following categories, you may be allowed to travel. If your travel is:-

• Part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of aid
• Essential for the conduct of critical industries and business (including export and import industries)
• Receive urgent medical treatment that is not available in Australia
• Urgent and unavoidable personal business
• Compassionate or humanitarian grounds
• National interest.

Non-citizens are free to leave. Dual citizens generally are not.

Qantas, Australia’s biggest airline, has no immediate plans to resume international flights until at least next July. Virgin Australia, Australia’s second airline, is going through a major financial debacle, has vague plans to resume international flying but no timeline.

It makes flying and in and out of Australia challenging, both for the airlines and people who need to travel.