The ACT government has been talking to the governments of South Australia and Tasmania with a view to starting flights between Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra as restrictions on travel are eased.
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ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he didn't think early July was too ambitious a date to aim for. It would depend on the airlines but he and the other premiers have asked their tourism organisations to work out how it might be done in a "safe and measured way".
"We've all agreed the project is a priority," he said.
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"There are some specific concerns and challenges which that need to be addressed," he said. These relate to quarantine for in-coming passengers to Tasmania and South Australia.
At the moment, in-comers have to go into quarantine for 14 days but that quarantine would need to be waived for those from virus-free Canberra for the plan to work.
It comes as Canberra Airport plans to increase flights to Sydney and Melbourne as restrictions on travel ease.
With the virus lock-down across Australia, flights from the airport were cut so that on some days nobody flew and on other days only 12 passengers took off - compared with 9000 passengers a day before the virus struck.
Flights are now up to about a hundred passengers which, given the restrictions on people not sitting next to each other, is probably the maximum.
In recent weeks, only people on essential trips were allowed but with the governments of Victoria and New South Wales easing regulations, the airport says that everybody can fly for non-essential trips like tourism.
The airport's Head of Aviation, Michael Thomson, said Canberra Airport is now "open for business, and passengers are safe and secure to fly to and from Melbourne and Sydney for business and leisure."
The airport is still lobbying to be allowed to fly to Brisbane and to Wellington in New Zealand. It's in talks with state governments in Australia and the authorities in the New Zealand capital.
"Travel to Brisbane is also permitted from Canberra Airport if you obtain permission from the Queensland government, and we hope to be able to open up travel to and from South Australia and Tasmania in the near future," Mr Thomson said.
But in the meantime the strong expectation at the airport is that Qantas in particular will increase its daily flights to the NSW and Victoria state capitals.
"We look forward to the airlines increasing the number of flights they have on offer in the coming weeks," Mr Thomson said.
Social distancing and lots of dispensers of hand sanitiser remain in force at the airport.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
