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Water cannon salute for Qantas 737-838 as Queensland opens

written by Adam Thorn | July 10, 2020

A Qantas Boeing 737-838, VH-VZI, received a water cannon salute when it landed on the Gold Coast from Sydney minutes before the Queensland border opened at midday.

From today, citizens from all states bar Victoria can now freely enter but must sign a border declaration promising to undertake a coronavirus test if they develop symptoms.

Virgin immediately responded by launching a sale offering $85 tickets to the state.

It came as Victoria recorded 288 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to Friday, marking the biggest increase since the pandemic began. However, that number coincided with a record 37,600 tests conducted.

Talking to ABC News Breakfast on Friday morning, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, “Please, Victoria be patient and your day will come when you will be allowed to come back here.

“We know how much you love Queensland and I know there is a lot of families that are going to be separated during this time as well. It is going to be very difficult.”

She added that she made “absolutely no apology” for keeping her borders closed and keeping her citizens safe.

“It is front and centre of my mind, every single day and every single night and don’t think for a moment I don’t wake up, early hours of the morning, thinking about Queenslanders and the decisions that myself and the chief health officer are making,” Premier Palaszczuk.

“These are very big decisions that we have never had to make in our lifetime and it is about protecting Queenslanders.”

Virgin Australia on Friday morning announced it was to offer more than half a million fares from just $85 to Queensland.

The deal included Sydney to Gold Coast from $85; and Sydney to Brisbane and Brisbane to Newcastle from $89.

Other destinations in the sale, which will run until Tuesday, include Hamilton Island and Townsville.

Previously, Queensland had steadfastly refused to open its borders to any state, with Premier Palaszczuk at one point hinting it wouldn’t open until September.

The decision sparked a war of words between Premier Palaszczuk and her NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian, before Prime Minister Scott Morrison became involved.

Premier Berejiklian called the September open date “ridiculous” before Premier Palaszczuk responded that she would not be “lectured to” on the issue.

It culminated in the Prime Minister appearing on a number of breakfast shows in May and repeatedly declaring that border closures were never “the medical advice”, or agreed by the national cabinet.

Victoria is now, however, all but closed off to every other state.

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Comments (8)

  • Basil

    says:

    Lovely to see a QANTAS aircraft getting an honour, in this, its’ Centenary year.

  • rob

    says:

    This is a Boeing 737 NG / Max – MSN 34203 – VH-VZ people dont want to fly on these aircraft around Boeing tell us now hey have found pitchfork cracks in some of these aircraft.The EU will be introducing tickets sales with aircraft types locked into the contract to prevent airlines from forcing passengers onto unsafe or non certified aircraft.

  • Rob

    says:

    This is a Boeing 737 NG / Max – MSN 34203 – VH-VZ people dont want to fly on these aircraft around the world.. Boeing tell us now they have found pitchfork cracks in some of these aircraft.The EU will be introducing tickets sales with aircraft types locked into the contract to prevent airlines from forcing passengers onto unsafe or non certified aircraft.

  • Terence

    says:

    Rob, months’ ago QANTAS engineers fixed any ‘pitchfork cracks’ on those aircraft, so they’re fit to fly, after regulatory government checks.

  • Alan Pace

    says:

    Public perception is Everything, and people Globally, will NOT fly in the MAX, regardless of any ‘fix’. Simple as that.

  • hjsfgj

    says:

    The EU does not allow commercial flights on “unsafe or non certified aircraft” nor does Australia and more people fly on the 737 than any other aircraft so people do want to fly on these.
    Also Boeing is not “tell us now they have found pitchfork cracks”……Boeing told airlines about this ages ago. It’s old news not “now”, the cracks have been rectified, everyone except for you has moved on.

  • lhjkl

    says:

    Absolutely incredibly that after keeping the border closed for months, QLD government decided that now of all times is the time to open it to NSW when cases are starting back up in NSW.

  • jytj

    says:

    This isn’t a MAX model and regardless, the average person has little to no “perception” between different models of commercial jets.

    Absolutely zero evidence that anyone is avoiding the 737 NG because of the pitchfork cracks. Just as there is zero evidence that people avoided the Classic when there were rudder problems. Just as there is zero evidence people avoided them during several occasions when problems surfaced with the CFM56.

    It remains to be seen whether people will avoid the MAX. I highly doubt they will. A few may claim they will avoid it but when the time comes, they probably won’t even check.

    Next time you make claims like this, please provide some evidence.

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