Hannah Dowling

The decision means the 2000 ground workers who had their roles outsourced will find out if they’ll make an extraordinary return to the airline by the end of the year.

It comes despite rivals Qantas and Virgin beefing up their flight schedules and announcing major sales ahead of the anticipated easing border restrictions in the coming months.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned that consumers could soon face higher airfares if airports increase the fees imposed on airlines, to recuperate lost profits during the pandemic.

Passengers booked on the flight have said Argentina’s strict border controls have made it nearly impossible to get to Buenos Aires from other parts of the continent, despite the Australian Government promising to assist.

Both Qantas and Virgin are set to begin regular services between Australia and Bali from Sunday 27 March, as the government nears its official announcement for the return of overseas travel.

The global airline industry has again warned that Australia is underprepared for the restart of international travel, and risks being a non-commercially viable market for airlines if the issues hindering the industry remain unresolved.