Originally Posted by
NZbutterfly
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Apart from politics/elections I can’t see a reason this shouldn’t get up and running in November. It currently makes zero sense for anyone from Australia (except VIC +/- NSW) to pay 3k for hotel isolation into NZ. The transit pax on the TT leg is the only issue. Looking through NZs exemption guidelines if you were on a flight where someone tested positive you’re likely to be declined even for compassionate reasons.
I’ve really admired the NTs hotspot approach especially to NSW and it’s served them well.
Hope kiwis get used to the idea and no idiots try to lie on border declarations. They will chase you down over here! Anyway, I’m hoping the North Island will contain/clear its cases over the next month and NZ can fly as a country to Sydney / ideally Brisbane too.
19 Oct New Zealand general election
31 Oct Queensland state election
After those dates the situation/attitude of the pollies will miraculously change !
Any and all current comments by politicians (standing for re election) are directed to getting more votes/not losing a vote
Federally AU position has always been open state borders before TT travel
Jacinda has stated needs to be 28 days covid free before a TT bubble
Auckland region, Sydney & south east QLD all have community transmission (very small numbers:-- not zero over XX days)
Melb metro area has a reducing community transmission (under extreme lock down conditions). After lockdown I would expect a very small trend up again (as happened in Sydney, SE QLD & Auckland)
Air NZ has a profitable business in transporting non NZ people across the Tasman from/to their USA, etc flights.
And taking transiting pax ex AU from QR, SQ etc onto NZ.
Air NZ will not want to loose that traffic or put on dedicated flights for those transit pax. (NZ Government owns the majority of Air NZ shares: they are not independent)
I flew MEL-AKL about 2.5 weeks ago. 64 pax on a B787 with about 10 transferring to other Air NZ international flights.
Air Auckland (as people living south of mid North Island know that airline ) are only flying AU to/from AKL. They could fly to/from other NZ airports.