Families reunited as more international flights resume from Queensland
Families have been reunited after the first direct flight from Australia to Wellington touched down in New Zealand from Brisbane this morning.
It's the latest direct international flight to take off from Brisbane Airport following the mass culling of routes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maatakiri Rapira hadn't seen her parents in New Zealand for almost four years.
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Families have been reunited as flights from Brisbane Airport to Wellington resume. 9News
"I just want to go home and hug my parents, that's all I want to do and they don't know I'm coming," she said before her flight.
Mags and Miles Thompson, also travelling to Wellington, were excited by the new route, which marks a return to more accessible international travel.
"Oh it's the best thing ever. I actually cried when I passed my COVID test this morning," Ms Thompson said.
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Families have been reunited as flights from Brisbane Airport to Wellington resume. 9News
Daily flights from Brisbane to Dubai resumed this month.
From tomorrow, direct flights from Brisbane to Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur will resume.
From July 1, Air Canada will resume flights to Vancouver four times a week, with Philippine Airways flights to Manila returning from April 3.
Jetstar flights from Brisbane to Bali return in May.
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Brisbane Airport to Wellington flights: Flights are soon resuming to Vancouver, Denpasar and Manila. 9News
Rachel Bronish from the Brisbane Airport Corporation said the flight routes marked a new chapter for the airline and travel industry.
"We truly think this is the beginning," she said.
Brisbane Airport's Rachel Bronish. 9News
Ms Bronish added with ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions and rules varying according to country, supporting a travel agent for international trips was the best way forward.
"Getting a travel agent is always a good option, because there are different rules for different countries so it always pays to do your research in the first instance," she said.
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