Qantas

Qantas first flew to Papua New Guinea during World War 2 to deliver supplies to the frontline. In 1945 Qantas began services from Australia to Port Moresby and Lae, where Qantas established a base for local operations.

Flights will operate each week on a Boeing 737-800 each Monday, Friday and Sunday.

Qantas have stated that demand on this route is expected to grow in the coming months, particularly from the corporate market, with flights between Brisbane and Port Moresby ramping up to five services per week from 20 June.

Frontline workers including pilots, cabin crew and airport staff must be fully vaccinated by mid-November.

The company says its remaining employees have until the end of March next year to receive both doses.

It comes as the state of New South Wales reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections.

The Australian flag carrier is the country's biggest, most high-profile company to introduce a mandatory vaccination policy.

The Australian flag carrier's boss, Alan Joyce, said the move would be "a necessity" when vaccines are available.

"I think that's going to be a common thing talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe," he said.

Australia shut down its international borders early in the pandemic and required those returning to quarantine.

The country has more recently relied on lockdowns, widespread testing and aggressive contact tracing to push daily infections nationwide close to zero.

The Australian flag carrier's boss says trading conditions are the worst in the airline's 100-year history.

The firm also says around 4,000 of its 6,000 planned job cuts are expected to be finalised by the end of next month.

The global airline industry has been hit hard as travel restrictions have been imposed around the world.

"The impact of Covid on all airlines is clear. It's devastating and it will be a question of survival for many," Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

"Recovery will take time and it will be choppy," he added.

Dozens gathered at Sydney Airport on Wednesday to wave goodbye to QF7474, writing messages on the plane's body and reading tributes.

The impact of the virus on travel means the 747 and others were retired by Qantas six months earlier than planned.

It will sit in the US Mojave Desert.

"It's hard to overstate the impact that the 747 had on aviation and a country as far away as Australia," said CEO Alan Joyce.

The Boeing 787-9 with 49 people on board took 19 hours and 16 minutes to fly from New York to Sydney, a 16,200-km (10,066-mile) route.

Next month, the company plans to test a non-stop flight from London to Sydney.

Qantas expects to decide on whether to start the routes by the end of 2019.

If it goes ahead with them, the services would start operating in 2022 or 2023.

No commercial aircraft yet has the range to fly such an ultra-long haul route with a full passenger and cargo load, Reuters news agency reports.

Australia's national carrier says it will connect Perth, in the west of the country, to the UK capital using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

The 9,000 mile (14,498km) flight will take 17 hours.

Perth will be a hub for passengers from eastern Australia going to the UK, tourism minister Steven Ciobo said.

He also said the new service would boost employment and tourism in Australia, a sector growing three times faster than the rest of the national economy, and one that supports 580,000 jobs.

Air Niugini submitted its authorisation application to code-share with Qantas on 27^th July, 2016. 

ICCC Commissioner and CEO Paulus Ain said, “The ICCC granted authorisation to Air Niugini to enter into and give effect to the code-share agreement with Qantas for a period of five years commencing 10^th November.

The service operates daily, using a refreshed 174 seat B737- 800 aircraft featuring 12 business class seats, upgraded in-flight entertainment, and improved seat comfort.

It replaces Qantas’ previous, turboprop-operated service between Port Moresby and Cairns, and is aimed to maximize customers’ connections to New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and North America.

Qantas and Air Niugini will continue to codeshare on routes between Port Moresby and Australia.*

Ron Sumsum was to have handed over the reins to a yet to be selected replacement in December.

The airline gave no official statement for his dismissal.

Acting in his place is the commercial services manager Gus Kraus, who said the sudden termination was a bit of nuisance given an upcoming safety certification review from the International Air Transport Association.

Mr Kraus said the airline was also awaiting word from Qantas on whether codeshare arrangements will continue.