The Qantas (ASX: QAN) share price is up around 5% as the airline plans for a resumption of some flights.
What is Qantas?
Qantas is Australia’s most popular airline. It was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920, the Qantas name was originally Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. The company operates two main airlines – Qantas and Jetstar – and subsidiary businesses including other airlines, businesses in specialist markets such as Q Catering, Qantas Freight Enterprises and the popular Qantas Frequent Flyer program. It employs some 30,000 people with around 93 per cent of them based within Australia.
Qantas’ flight plan
The Aussie airline may increase its domestic flying up to 40% of its pre-pandemic capacity by the end of July 2020 depending on travel demand and the relaxation of state borders according to reporting by the Australian Financial Review.
What routes will get more flights? There will be more services between capital cities and it will also resume flights that it had previously abandoned during the worst of the COVID-19. There will also be a launch of flights between Sydney and Byran Bay.
There will be a number of changes for travellers including masks and sanitising wipes. However, it still plans to keep the middle seat occupied.
The AFR quoted Qantas CEO Alan Joyce saying: “We know there is a lot of pent up demand for air travel, and we are already seeing a big increase in customers booking and planning flights in the weeks and months ahead.
“We are gradually adding flights in June as demand levels increase, which will go from 5 per cent of pre-crisis levels currently to 15 per cent by late June … Normally, we plan our capacity months in advance, but in the current climate, we need to be flexible to respond to changing restrictions and demand levels.”
The Qantas share price has risen 106% since 19 March 2020.
[ls_content_block id=”14945″ para=”paragraphs”]
Disclosure: At the time of writing, Jaz doesn’t own shares in any of the businesses mentioned.
