Qantas plan to reinvigorate their old routes throughout December, as part of the Australian Government’s efforts to repatriate thousands of citizens stranded in Europe.
Beginning in mid-December this latest round of repatriation flights will aim to bring home some of the 36,000 Australians, who have indicated that they want to return to Australia. Working in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Qantas will fly the returning travellers to Darwin, where they will undertake two weeks of mandatory quarantine.
Flights are expected to sell out quickly, with priority going to the 8,070 classified by DFAT as vulnerable. The department will also control who can book, with those who can be offered a seat being emailed a unique set of instructions for booking.
Economy seats on the Frankfurt flights will start at AU$2095 ($1546/€1297) and Business Class on the Boeing 787 will cost AU$8679 ($6406/€5,372).
Qantas says that “the inflight entertainment system will be unavailable” so with these flights stretching to 24 hours from start to finish, passengers are advised to BYO reading material, moves and binge-worthy TV series.
| Inbound Route | Arrival Date in Australia |
| Frankfurt – Darwin | 13th December 2020 |
| Chennai – Darwin | 15th December 2020 |
| Paris – Darwin | 17th December 2020 |
| London – Darwin | 30th December 2020 |
| New Delhi – Darwin | 1st January 2021 |
| Frankfurt – Darwin | 3rd January 2021 |
| London – Darwin | 16th January 2021 |
| New Delhi – Darwin | 18th January 2021 |
| New Delhi – Darwin | 20th February 2021 |
Additionally, Qantas will carry passengers outbound from Australia wishing to return home. These can be booked normally, with departing foreign passengers not needing a permit to leave. However, Australian citizens and permanent residents are barred from leaving and require a permit.
| Outbound Route | Departure Date |
| Sydney – Frankfurt | 9th December 2020 |
| Sydney – Paris | 13th December 2020 |
| Sydney – Perth – London | 26th December 2020 |
| Sydney – Perth – London | 12th January 2021 |
“I’d like to thank not only the crew who are volunteering to operate on these services, but the many people behind the scenes who make sure these flights happen; particularly to cities where we don’t typically operate to.”
Alan Joyce, CEO, Qantas
I never did understand these repatriation flights. Why would you want to go back home?
Honestly, if Australians really want to, they can fly still. I realized one can use the flimsiest of reasons. VFR being one of them.
I recently discovered I could technically go visit my cousins in Canada, relatives in China, friends in Europe. But I won’t do it yet, because my workplace mysteriously advised us against flying in general until after northern winter this season is completely dissipated, it was advised that northern winter will last through the entire 2021.
What I find most disturbing in this raging discussion of individual rights and freedom over collective well-being and authoritarian policies is the failure of DFAT to release clarifications on proposed repatriation flight schedules, on filtering and ranking processes in the assessment of “vulnerability”, and on registration procedures for consideration of the same.
Despite my emails, I am reliant upon web-postings such as on this site, for clarification (without verification) of such details.
WTF is wrong with Australian government to be so extreme? Severe Quarantine, travelling restrictions, and today’s best: « no inflight entertainment »! . Shame on you Autralian from overseas, you should be grateful if you are fed during the flight and if we keep the heater on. Btw enjoy your quarantine in Darwin, the best place in nowhere!
Nonsense.
Entertainment system requires power to operate …. considerable power – generating that power increases fuel consumption ….. these are non-stop flights, so fuel consumption is critical – Cheers
Should we get any exemption from DFAT for booking Qantas repatriation flights even though you are a permanent resident? if so please advice about the formalities, I understand you can’t book the flight directly form Qantas website. I have checked the dates mentioned for India, any help would be appreciated.
DFAT will email you if you are eligible for returning to Australia. The eligibility at this stage is considered to be classified as vulnerable even you are a permanent resident i.e., families with children, people with medical needs etc. You cannot book for your flights until you receive an email from DFAT as all the tickets are controlled by DFAT not Qantas. I recently secured a ticket for my daughter from India.
I suggest you check the details you entered in their system are up to date, as they first give you a call to check if you are interested and if yes, what flights you would be interested in. Call the DFAT people for further information NOT Qantas.
when i see all the flights planned to Darwin at only few days intervals, has Darwin enough beds to accommodate all the passengers on a quarantine basis?
i dont remember Darwin has that many hotels or sort.
Passengers are accommodated at Howard Springs, a huge mining/gas worker village that is now being used for quarantine
Hi there,
I have registered with the DFAT repatriation flight so I can return to Australia from the UK. I tried a lot to book our flight tickets using the link the DFAT provided me, but I failed to book tickets for us (my wife, son, and myself). I am very frustrated and helpless because I don’t have accommodation here in the UK, my landlord won’t allow me to stay in his house after January 14. Also my son needs to start with his school. I have to start my job in Melbourne (research job at Monash University), if I cannot enter Melbourne in January, I will lose my job. Overall, I am deep in despair because DAFT/Home Affairs could have organized a large-scale repatriation system by extending the number of flights and expanding more quarantine facilities (e.g. hotel or other facilities).
I am not sure what to do now at this point.
Do you have any information regarding more repatriation flights from the UK to Australia?
Best wishes,
Dr Chowdhury
@Flymetotgemoon, yes hostage. As an Australian, I feel I’m in prison here. Worse since I’m also in Western Australia and can’t travel to other parts of my own country. The government obviously don’t trust their own people, or the supposedly excellent health system. Why stop citizens from leaving? How is that meant to prevent covid from coming into Australia. So no, I don’t want to “suck it up for the greater good”.
I’m in WA and also feel like a prisoner. Half my life usually in Europe. Getting more and more depressed by the day.
I would really be interested in knowing how many economy seats, costing $2150 from London, have been offered on these repatriation flights. I have heard of people paying up to $8,000 because that is all that was available but wonder if this is a minority. Even $2150 is expensive when people paid maybe $1000 for the ticket that Qantas cancelled and are now expected to pay more than double that on a Qantas flight with limited food and water, and no entertainment. Qantas can’t/won’t tell me, Aust. High Commission won’t say, and still waiting for a reply from our local member.
Wow, I would love to see these new routes
Why are business class seats even an option? For the vurnerable? Really?
I don’t want the government to keep me safe on my health issues and to take away my FREEDOM because people like you are scared of a virus with a 99.9% recovery rate. So the government can go and get lost, the ONLY job that they have is to look after their citizens in trying times and to governing the country and not playing with peoples FREEDOM like the communists. I am an Australian born in a European Communism Country System.
Wow Australia really keeping their citizens hostage on their prison island still after all these months. Ridiculous
Hostage or safe? As an Australian born overseas – as much as I would love to see my family in Europe I am hugely grateful the government has managed to nearly eradicate Covid in our community, unlike much of the rest of the world saving a huge amount of lives. Of course I want to travel but most Australians like myself accept that we have to suck up the restrictions for the greater good.
And those who need to leave for emergency situations can still leave.