Recently Qantas announced that the airline would open routes to international destinations such as the UK and US. This announcement had an immense impact on Australians, as it carried with it a glimmer of hope as we start to emerge from wave after wave of lockdowns. For a lot of us, it feels like we can finally take a breath and return to some semblance of normality.

We are all beyond excited at the prospect of being reunited with our loved ones abroad, however sadly there are still limited options available for the majority of us.

Since the announcement was made by Qantas, the demand for flights to and from South Africa has surged by 75% according to the Google Travel Trends data for the last 30 days and this statistic does not even take into account searches done the main online travel agency platforms.

With over 200k of South African expats in Australia, we ask that Qantas consider adding South Africa to the intended routes to be opened once international travel recommences as it would certainly be a commercially viable route for the airline, as well as help reunite families that have been separated by global events for far too long.