Hannah Dowling

Australia’s economy domestic airfares have reached their lowest level since 2012, as airlines release a slew of cheap tickets to lure in customers despite ongoing border restrictions.

Aviation experts have again warned that Australians attempting to return from overseas will be forced to pay extremely high airfares, which could continue for another year, as the industry slowly ramps up its operations.

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall has said South Australia will likely continue to impose caps on international arrivals and 14-day home quarantine, meaning international travel will likely remain out of reach for South Australians until at least next year.

Charter, FIFO and special missions operator Cobham has welcomed its third Embraer E190 to its fleet, with the new jet performing its first passenger flight this week.

Air New Zealand has added an additional 25 ‘red’ quarantine flights from Australia in January, as New Zealand gives no hints when it might lift the pause on the trans-Tasman bubble.

The flight crossed in Australian airspace at 5:28pm AEDT on Wednesday, and landed in Darwin at 6:39pm local time, after skirting the edge of Antarctica on its way from Argentina.