Australia’s Qantas delays target date for international flights

The airline now says it is aiming to resume international flights in October, as it reported a 75 percent plunge in revenue.

Qantas Airways Ltd says it has pushed back its target for a widespread resumption of international travel from Australia by four months until the end of October when the country’s vaccination programme is expected to conclude. The airline grounded its international fleet last March and a domestic recovery has been hampered by state border closures, leading to a 75 percent fall in revenue to 2.33 billion Australian dollars ($1.9bn) in the six months to December 31. Qantas on Thursday said it swung to a 1.03 billion Australian dollar ($821m) first-half underlying loss before tax, its most closely watched financial measure, compared with a 771 million Australian dollar ($614m) profit a year earlier.