Fiji Airways ready as Australia set to reopen international borders from November

Fiji’s international carrier, Fiji Airways is ready to fly as the Australian Government has confirmed that their international borders will open from November.

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison says under the third phase, international travel is back for fully vaccinated Australians.

He says states and territories will begin this program at different times given their varying vaccination rates but they expect the system to commence in November.

Australian citizens and permanent residents who cannot be vaccinated - for example if they are under 12 or have a medical condition - will be treated as vaccinated for the purposes of their travel.

The international travel ban, which is managed by the federal government, was originally in place until December 17, but has been brought forward.

BBC reports that Morrison says states with vaccination rates above 80 percent would get the travel freedoms.

He told reporters today that it is time to give Australians their lives back.

Australia's mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine - which costs each traveller AUD$3,000 will be phased out. It will be replaced by a seven-day home quarantine for vaccinated travellers.

Speaking to fijivillage, Fiji Airways CEO and Managing Director, Andre Viljoen says the airline company is ready and they are awaiting the announcement regarding the reopening of our international borders by the Fijian government.

Viljoen says their pilots and planes are ready, and they may also re-recruit more cabin crew members.

He says the repatriation and freight flights have also assisted them during this COVID period.

Meanwhile some major airlines have warned that they are not geared up for a quick ramping up of services.

They had said even when the international border reopens, flights in and out of Australia will operate at a “fraction of pre-pandemic levels” due to home quarantine requirements.

The Guardian reported that the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia which represents airlines including Emirates, Etihad and United had said that means Australians eager to fly overseas could face difficulty securing tickets.