More repatriation flights planned

[NM]

Qantas is set to increase its monthly repatriations flights from eight to 20 per month, Australian Aviation can reveal.

The expansion, set to roll out over “the coming months”, coincides with the Howard Springs quarantine facility also planning to double its capacity, from 850 to 2,000 per fortnight.

Qantas made the announcement in a memo to staff, which also revealed it has now operated more than 200 international flights to countries such as India, UK, France and South Africa.

The full story from Australian Aviation is available here: Qantas to double repatriation flights to 20 per month

I did not realise how many repatriation flights had already operated. Since the publicity of the first wave of flights, they are now well below the radar with mainstream reporting.

 

[dajop]

Something is off with the maths on this. The article says that over 200 flights have been conducted and that the number is increasing from 8 to 20 a month and that Howard Springs has accepted 4600 pax.

1) 200 flights @ 8/month = 25 months !
2) I think Tasmania has taken a few hundred pax, but let’s say 1000. So that’s 5600, or just 28 pax per flight.

Maybe the 200 flights mentioned includes the various A330 freight flights QF has been operating. By I’m going to call BS on the 200 repatriation flights number.

 

[Mattg]

Something is off with the maths on this. The article says that over 200 flights have been conducted and that the number is increasing from 8 to 20 a month and that Howard Springs has accepted 4600 pax.

1) 200 flights @ 8/month = 25 months !
2) I think Tasmania has taken a few hundred pax, but let’s say 1000. So that’s 5600, or just 28 pax per flight.

Maybe the 200 flights mentioned includes the various A330 freight flights QF has been operating. By I’m going to call BS on the 200 repatriation flights number.

Unless the 200 flights includes outbound flights (so 100 inbounds) and the various flights conducted towards the start of the pandemic which didn't land in Darwin, e.g. LIM-BNE etc.

 

[NM]

Something is off with the maths on this. The article says that over 200 flights have been conducted and that the number is increasing from 8 to 20 a month and that Howard Springs has accepted 4600 pax.

1) 200 flights @ 8/month = 25 months !
2) I think Tasmania has taken a few hundred pax, but let’s say 1000. So that’s 5600, or just 28 pax per flight.

Maybe the 200 flights mentioned includes the various A330 freight flights QF has been operating. By I’m going to call BS on the 200 repatriation flights number.

I also assume it includes the very early flights long before Howard Springs was used. I read the 8/month as just being "recent months" not necessarily a constant long-term rate. But I agree there is likely some fluff in the numbers. Marketing departments can spin anything from statistics.