Qantas and Jetstar gear up for the Easter rush

Sydney, Australia - October 16, 2016: An Airbus A330 belonging to QANTAS takes off from the city's airport on an international flight. Minor heat haze.

Qantas and Jetstar are gearing up for the busiest Easter since 2019 with more than 620,000 customers to fly across their domestic and international networks over the five-day long weekend.

Easter Thursday will be the single biggest day with more than 120,000 customers travelling on nearly 1,200 services. Passenger numbers will peak again on Easter Monday, as customers return home from their extended break.

Last Easter, 601,000 customers flew over the corresponding five-day period.

Both airlines have been working with airports and suppliers to attempt to minimise long queues for security screening and delayed baggage that customers faced over Easter 2022.

Last year, Qantas and Jetstar copped ridicule over problems regarding lost luggage and delayed flights, but the airlines say they have made improvements to their operations.

“Qantas has been the most on-time major domestic airline for six months in a row, with almost eight out of 10 flights (78.3 per cent) departing on time during February, despite Air Traffic Control staffing shortages and weather disruptions,” the airline wrote in a press statement.

“Qantas expects this to extend to a seventh month when official government data is released later this month.

“Mishandled bag rates are back at pre-COVID levels for Qantas, while call wait times are lower than pre-pandemic, currently averaging five minutes.”

Sydney Airport queue last Easter

The airline said that it has taken the following steps to help ensure a smoother travel experience this Easter:

Almost 3500 additional operational employees have been recruited to support increased travel, including cabin crew, pilots, engineers and airport customer service staff.
Reserve staffing levels will be boosted by 20 per cent to minimise any potential impact from sick leave.
Up to 20 aircraft will be on standby to provide extra buffer and reduce delays, including as a result of global parts shortages. Aircraft on standby include an Airbus A330, A320s, a Boeing 737 and a number of regional aircraft. Jetstar also has six new A321neo aircraft that have joined the fleet since last Easter.
Industry partners will have extra staff, including Airservices Australia air traffic controllers and additional airport security screeners during peak periods.

The Qantas Group has advised that travellers check in early, arrive to the airport early and stay within baggage limits to ensure smooth operations.

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