SA Premier Steven Marshall and federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham have praised the business for restarting flights to Adelaide.
Qatar Airways has announced it will resume flights from New Zealand on 14 August for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Qatar Airways will force all passengers in economy to wear face shields – but the measure will not be mandatory for those in business class.
With talk of flights resuming over the next couple of weeks, the final two bidders for Virgin Australia are proposing a “hybrid” model for the airline, placing it somewhere between Qantas’ premium offerings and Jetstar’s budget fares.
The jump meant the carrier is now by far the biggest in terms of passengers carried – with previous number one Qantas slumping from 17.9 per cent to just 2.9 per cent.
The airline also confirmed that from Monday, 25 May, Australian passengers will be asked to wear mandatory face masks and crew to wear full PPE suits.