Whether from lack of passenger bookings or COVD-19 isolation rules meaning fewer cabin crew or pilots are available, Monday 24 January 2022's cancellation of the first three JQd flights from SYD - JQ603 to Avalon at 0600 hours, JQ745 to LST at the same time and JQ503 to MEL at 0620 shows the parlous state of domestic aviation.
JQ950 to CNS at 0630 and JQ456 to BNK at 0640 were also cancelled, meaning that in the hour to 0659 this morning, only one JQd ex-SYD flight, JQ786 to MCY at 0625 hours ran as timetabled.
Every Premier apart from NSW's has much to answer for, conditioning us all during the past 22 months to expect sudden closures of state borders, quarantine requirements or other curbs that see many of us disinclined to travel interstate.
This hasn't just cost QF and competitors hundreds of millions of dollars, but has also led even where airline staff are employed to fewer overall shifts being available, meaning those who'd normally receive allowances have fewer of those. It also hits suppliers to transport operators hard.