I’ve just read a recent Conde Nast Traveler article that states Qantas will not be flying any international routes until March 2021. In order to survive the fallout from COVID-19, the airline is cutting it’s losses and will focus on domestic routes only with the exception of a few New Zealand flights.

The carrier has also grounded its fleet of double-decker A380 planes—typically used for long-haul international routes—for at least three years, and it has completely retired its six Boeing 747s, another superjumbo jet.

Say what? It’s hard to really comprehend what this means. I’m reading it so intellectually I understand it but what does this really mean to gypsies, travellers, ex-pats? I’m feeling at a loss for words. Comparing it to the current plague, threats of war, global warming, hate and division at national and international levels – the inability to vacation in the south of France is hardly high on the priority list. Still, it never occurred to me just how fragile the travel industry was. That I would be “stuck” in one place for so long.

I’m grateful to be here in Oz having relatively low impact from the virus, however, I feel very far away from the rest of the world. These are strange times indeed.