Qantas considers reducing Bendigo services amid New South Wales travel restrictions

QantasLink services between Bendigo and Sydney on Christmas Eve were cancelled, with low passenger numbers believed to have been the cause.

An outbreak of COVID-19 in New South Wales and the associated travel restrictions Victoria has imposed are understood to account for the drop in service use.

Bendigo-Sydney flight schedules for the next two weeks are also believed to have been affected.

Flights on the route operated on Wednesday.

Qantas is understood to have been contacting all passengers booked to fly from Sydney to Victoria before departure to remind them of the travel restrictions.

It is the company's policy to re-book passengers on the next available flight at no additional cost, or offer a flight credit or refund, if it cancels a service.

Tuesday

Qantas is understood to be reviewing the number of flights it operates between Bendigo and Sydney.

It comes in response to Victorian border restrictions imposed as New South Wales contended with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Qantas is believed to consider a minimum schedule necessary for essential travel.

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It is the company's policy to re-book passengers on the next available flight if at no additional cost, or offer a flight credit or refund, if Qantas cancels a service.

The airline is understood to be contacting all passengers booked to fly from Sydney to Victoria before departure to remind them of the restrictions.

People travelling from most of regional New South Wales are eligible to apply for a permit to enter Victoria.

Victoria is not permitting entry to people who have been in the Northern Beaches, which has been designated a 'hot zone', without an exemption.

Greater Sydney and Central Coast have been declared 'red zones', and restrictions apply for residents and travellers from those areas.

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New South Wales residents who have travelled through or live in 'red zones' are not permitted to enter Victoria, and will be subjected to mandatory hotel quarantine and a fine if they breach restrictions.

Victorian residents returning from 'red zones' from today are subject to mandatory hotel quarantine.

The Victorian government's plan for passengers arriving at Bendigo Airport from a red zone or hot zone is believed to be detaining them and contacting COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, which will come and collect the passengers and take them to hotel quarantine in Melbourne.

COVID-19 testing for travellers arriving at Victorian airports, including Bendigo, from New South Wales ramped up on Monday.

Passengers from Sydney were screened at Bendigo Airport on Friday.

QantasLink's Bendigo - Sydney service resumed on December 7.

The service was suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.