We’ve missed you! Emotional scenes at Sydney airport as the Kiwis arrive on their first flight since March

Travelers on the first commercial flight from New Zealand in seven months landed in Sydney this afternoon, in the first phase of a bubble of transtasman travel.

There were emotional scenes at Sydney International Airport when families finally reunited after the bubble burst overnight.

Passengers aboard the Air New Zealand flight landed at noon.

Passengers were greeted with signs that read “we’ve missed you” and “welcome back” as they walked through the terminal to their loved ones.

There were hugs, kisses and tears as those trapped on either side of the Tasman reunited after seven months apart, as both nations closed their borders in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Kiwi passengers will not have to enter hotel quarantine upon arrival. A Jetstar flight and a Qantas flight will arrive later today.

Arrivals mark a positive development in international travel arrivals, with the Australian border closed to international arrivals since March.

Under the agreement between the two nations, New Zealanders will be allowed to travel without quarantine to New South Wales and the Northern Territory if they have not been to a Covid-19 hotspot in the previous 14 days.

Upon arrival in Australia, passengers will be divided into green and red zones at the airport, delineating quarantine-free flights and travelers subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Currently, it is a one-way bubble. Australians will be able to cross the ditch at a later date, yet to be determined.

Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said this was a first step in the “phased approach”.

“We haven’t welcomed international travelers to Sydney in months that haven’t had to go through customs and go directly to the hotel buses [quarantine],” he said.

The first phase will provide a vital “proof of concept” for other destinations and travel, he said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that all passengers arriving from New Zealand will be kept separate from other arrivals at the airport.

There will be 16 flights between the two countries each week, with the first flight arriving at noon on Friday.

Jetstar, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Qatar Airways have been announcing trans-Tasmania flights.

Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said that in order for the airline to continue to carry passengers safely and to identify passengers with non-New Zealand trips, it has introduced “quarantine” and “quarantine-free” flights. “.

“Quarantine-free flights will be for travelers from New Zealand flying from Auckland to Sydney and are not required to self-quarantine upon arrival in Australia.”

Quarantined flights would be open to passengers who do not meet the Safe Travel Zone criteria and will be required to quarantine them upon arrival in Australia.

– Additional reports Daily Mail Australia