SYDNEY -- Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand said separately on Thursday that they were confident international travel would return later this year, led by a rollout of coronavirus vaccines, even as the two carriers reported hefty losses as travelers stayed home for much of 2020.
Australia's flag carrier signaled a likely resumption in international air travel by the end of October, in line with the time frame for completion of vaccinations in the country, which began this week. The airline expects domestic capacity to increase to 80% of pre-pandemic levels by the fourth quarter of 2021.