UPDATE ON QANTAS SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FLIGHTS

Published on 13th October 2023 at 11:18

Qantas will operate an Airbus A380 from London to Sydney (via Singapore) on Tuesday to help Australians in Israel get back home, following a request from the Australian Government.

This dedicated flight will carry Australians who are leaving Israel on Qantas flights to London on Friday and Sunday. The Qantas A380 has 484 seats.

Passengers on these flights are travelling free of charge, with the costs being covered by Qantas. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is coordinating registration for Australians travelling on all three flights.

The first of two flights operated by Qantas’ 236-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner will depart Tel Aviv overnight on Friday (Australian time) and is due to arrive in London early on Saturday morning (Australian time). The second flight is due to depart Tel Aviv on Sunday. The A380 service from London will land in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon.

Given the uncertain situation in the region, these flights are subject to ongoing safety and security assessments, and regulatory approvals in several countries.

More than 900 Qantas crew put their hands up to operate these flights, far exceeding the 70 required. We sincerely thank all of them, and all those working behind the scenes to make these special assistance flights possible.

The sudden nature of these rescue flights will mean disruption for some customers on our international network, and the airline is contacting those customers directly. We’re working to minimise the impact as much as possible and appreciate their understanding.

ADVICE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Australians who want to leave Israel via Australia’s assisted-departure flights should register at Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website. If you have already registered with DFAT you do not need to register again.

For urgent consular assistance, Australians should continue to call the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).