18 June

Qantas has cancelled all international flights until late October except for those to New Zealand.

The news comes as the Australian government said its border would remain closed into next year to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The airline and subsidiary Jetstar are now boosting domestic flights as travel restrictions within Australia ease.

Qantas has seen domestic passenger numbers double to 64,000 this week, compared to last week's 32,000.

The nation's tourism minister has also encouraged Australian's to take their holidays within the country this year. 

“With Australia’s borders set to remain closed for some time, we have cancelled most international flights until late October," the airline said in a statement sent to the BBC.

"We still have some flights scheduled across the Tasman in the coming months, with the expected travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand," 

the statement continued, referring to the Tasman Sea between the two countries.

BBC