• expired
  • targeted

Free, Non-Stop Flights for Aussies Fleeing Lebanon, from Cyprus to Sydney @ Qantas

32942

In a break from my regular travel deal posting, hopefully this'll help someone who needs to get out of Lebanon fast.

Qantas will operate two non-stop flights between Cyprus and Sydney, to help Australians in Lebanon get home on behalf of the Australian Government.

The flights will be operated using a Qantas Boeing 787 and will be able to carry up to 440 Australians back home.

The first service is expected to depart Larnaca in Cyprus on Monday evening (local time), arriving in Sydney on Tuesday.

The second direct Dreamliner service is expected to depart on Wednesday.

The national carrier will operate these assisted-departure flights free of charge for the Australian Government, with no cost to those travelling on the flight. The airline is working to obtain the necessary approvals.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is coordinating registration for Australians wanting to return home.

Qantas has called for pilots and cabin crew to nominate their interest in operating the flights. This is expected to be oversubscribed as it was with the special assistance flights from Tel Aviv in October 2023, when 900 cabin crew expressed their interest for 70 positions.

These assisted-departure flights will impact some customers booked to travel on our international network, and customers are being contacted directly with alternative travel arrangements. We’re working to minimise the impact as much as possible and appreciate their understanding.

ADVICE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Australians who want to leave Lebanon via Cyprus should register at DFAT’s Crisis Portal. If you have already registered with DFAT you do not need to register again.

For urgent consular assistance, Australians should continue to call the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).

Related Stores

Qantas
Qantas

closed Comments

  • +47

    can you choose business class?

    • +80

      I mean you're getting downvotes, but there are non-economy seats onboard, so somebody gets them. Hopefully dedicated for the elderly/unwell.

    • +4

      Yesnt, im assuming Australian Government and Diplomatic Staff will have first dibs on these seats (per their Commonwealth Travel Agreement) as well as the tech and engineering crews which will accompany the aircraft. Or otherwise outright blocked for weight restrictions which are applying to this flight home.

      I am assuming its on a priority needs basis, those who are disabled, elderly ect will have dibs on Business and Premium Economy seating.

      • +2

        Or otherwise outright blocked for weight restrictions which are applying to this flight home

        Why would you block premium seating for weight restrictions?

        People don't weigh more if they sit in a premium seat vs economy

        • +1

          Could be an attempt at being fair in regards to who gets premium seating. No one gets it. (Except for the obvious catagories)

        • +4

          Because it matters where the weigh is that’s why it’s called weight and balance.

          • +4

            @veridianfive: Weight balance is even more of a reason to not leave the premium cabins entirely empty…

            • @Harold Halfprice: Tail heavy saves fuel and would typically be the preference if they had to go max efficient but they probably won’t need to given the distance.

      • Authorised by AircraftFreight, Canberra

    • Would be interesting to see if QF could reconfigure a 787 that quickly. I mean they probably wouldn't but if they had to..

      • +2

        They cant, CASA would need to approve it and knowing them it could take weeks or months

        • CASA issues an exceptional airworthiness certificate.
          It's a known airframe and the crew know that it's off-balance.

          • +1

            @smalltime0: There wouldnt be an EAC issued for the reconfiguration, they would have to demonstrate to CASA in advance in terms of compliance to Part 91 - Manual of Standards.

            Still could take weeks or months for those bastards to answer haha

            • +1

              @AircraftFreight: No it wouldn't. Qantas literally got one to be able to fly a turbine on the 5th port of a regular 747 flight to Jburg faster than it would be to ship on a freighter.

              • +1

                @smalltime0: The 747-400 non ER platform allowed for the 5th engine pod as it was approved right out of the manufacture and within the bounds of FAA/CASA approval and fell within the AOC restrictions of QF, the added weight was simply chucked into the FCU and all of the performance numbers were updated.

                The 787-9 was designed with the current cabin config which permitted crew, lavatories, weight and balance, MTOW, freight restrictions ect - if you added another 80 seats, those metrics would need to be recalculated and you would need to gain permission from CASA before you could reconfigure which falls under the MOS under Part 91.

    • +3

      This would be a fully sick flight

  • +216

    They are not free, its our pockets that pay for them ;)

    (For those you are assuming that QF is paying out of pocket, dont worry they will be happy to write down these losses for this Financial Year)

    • +99

      Welcome to living in a caring society.

        • +8

          Maybe because they are Australians? I don't think you understand this new concept of travel.

          • +93

            @hypie: They were told over 6 months to leave because there was absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind this conflict would spill into Lebanon. These flights should not only be paid for by those who were too arrogant to ignore the direction, but the government should reap a significant profit for organising it all in spite of that earlier direction.

            Wonder how many people with wounds from a pager exploding in their pocket that we'll be flying back in business…

              • +17

                @Sammypls: Surely you understand that a smarter society benefits you. Or even just the free childcare aspect of public school.

                Do you think your life isn't affected by that? Your reasonings a selfish but it's beyond that, you have very little critical thinking skills

                • +18

                  @ScruffTheJanitor: Schools I understand - better educated kids mean higher income earners and more tax revenue in the future.

                  People who have ignored travel advice for 6 months and had lots of opportunities to leave before now have more in common with Darwin awards.

                • @ScruffTheJanitor: I think he does. Rhetorical question perchance?

              • +10

                @Sammypls: You’re right bro why my maney pay for sk00l when I’m 31? Why my maney pay for trabel when I’m in bed?

              • +4

                @Sammypls: Hopefully you don't use public hospitals or anything public or you're a hypocrite.

                • -2

                  @arcticmonkey: Public hospitals are a joke. Takes months for an appointment and the hospitals are empty. All setup to push people to private

                • @arcticmonkey: How so? Does he not say he believes people should be helped no matter what?

              • +2

                @Sammypls: There are so many avenues govt spends in. Wonder if you heard about the AVTOP, a one-off payment of up to $75,000 in financial assistance.

                Not that this amount of money is going to mean anything to them.

              • +2

                @Sammypls: Do some research and learn what % of "your" tax goes to this sort of thing. Much less other services that people complain about.

              • +1

                @Sammypls: You make a fair point.

                They did choose to stay in a war zone when they had the perfectly fine backup residence of australia

            • +8

              @Assburg: Say if they couldnt afford it? Say they werent able to be contacted? Say they were looking after sick relatives? Say Some people in a family wanted to go but others refused so they stayed with them? Plenty of circumstances that could cause people to not leave - its not a huge cost dont be such a whiner about a relatively small cost.

              This isnt like, say people who went off to join ISIS or something

              • +27

                @Franc-T: If there are 80,000 Australian citizens in Lebanon caring for sick Lebanese citizens, it would accidentally be our nation's greatest humanitarian effort..

                I'm sure there are a few outlier cases like that but realistically, they should've bought travel insurance, and returned in accordance with that. Oh, can't afford travel insurance? Maybe re-assess your travel plans…

                Our government is effectively reinforcing a diminished sense of responsibility for bad decisions.

                • +3

                  @Assburg: Have you ever read travel insurance exclusions? War is one of them.

                  • +13

                    @klonky: Completely aware… Which is why I think the reasonable thought process is

                    1. Oh i want to go to Lebanon
                    2. Hmmm govt says high risk of conflict ok I'll get travel insurance
                    3. Oh the policy excludes issues arising from warlike acts..ok how serious is this war thing I'll have a look.
                    4. Hm Hezbollah keep firing missiles into Israel what's the deal with that..
                    5. Oh there's some war in the near region that's essentially between two religious groups. I wonder what Lebanon's interest in that would be.
                    6. Oh Lebanon has had multiple civil wars as a consequence of internal political instability…all brought about by religious differences…gee they must take this religious war stuff pretty seriously. I wonder if it'll get worse than these two groups just firing MISSILES at each other.. I'll have a look at what Israel are loke.
                    7. Oh boy they eventually conduct a ground invasion pretty much every time their independence is under a threat.
                    8. Better not go to Lebanon…..
                    • -6

                      @Assburg: So in effect you are saying they shouldn't be there because Israel repeatedly refuses peace deals because the PM needs ongoing war to stay in power and their country is next door?

                      • +8

                        @Jackson: Israel isn't obliged to accept any deals… especially if they aren't favourable. They wouldn't be deals if that was the nature of them. But yes, typical antisemitic rubbish: let's blame the Jews for the conflict in the region!

                        In effect I'm saying you're a fool to travel to or remain in the edge of a war zone when you've got the opportunity to leave, and then ask for help when that opportunity fades away.

                        Please save your red herring arguments for situations where you're hoping to impress girls with armpit hair.

                        • +4

                          @Assburg: Stop it with the antisemituc diatribe. At this point the Israel country lives on blood. That's not even me saying this. An Israeli journalist himself said this. The govt there needs to see itself in the mirror

                        • +9

                          @Assburg: No I think people blame Israel, not Tue Jewish faith

                          • +5

                            @Rex C: The most orthodox Jewish community don't believe the state of Israel should exist yet.

                            Netanyahu is far right Zionist - Ultra Nationalism is driving the bad decision making.

                            • +5

                              @Goremans: As an Orthodox Jew, you are completely incorrect. We literally pray to Jerusalem, most Orthodox Jew support the state of Israel, a small percentage have neutral feelings towards the state and far less than 1% are against the state.

                              • +2

                                @Superkid: I never said they were "against" the state of Israel.

                                And where did you get those figures from….? Perhaps the ultra nationalist .gov website… bahaha.

                                Here are 15,000 Rabbi's in a stadium that disagree with you.

                                https://youtu.be/x5T_Qu12ACs?si=BbQiEQF5PjMzuEi1

                                Also check out "the ask project" on youtube. Its been running for almost 15 years, asking everyday Israelis and Palestinians on the street questions. Breaks apart alot of the propaganda on both sides (and confims its also).

                                Your figures are off.

                                • -3

                                  @Goremans: Thanks for the youtube link, but this is a fringe group and does not represent the majority view.

                                  Like I said the majority of religious Jews are Zionist's "Zionism is the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel" https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/zionism

                                  IV seen many hours of the ask project, and it doesn't confirm your stated position.

                                  • +1

                                    @Superkid: I never said it did suport my position. Zionisms original premise and goals (even quoted here by yourself) sounds great. I can get behind that.

                                    Now how does that stack up against the current far right government of Netanyahu?

                                    Things have gone off the rails a little wouldn't you say….

                                    Anyway, this is a site for saving money. Im tapping out - peace

                      • +6

                        @Jackson: I think he is saying that rockets have been fired into Israel for close to a year now and it does not take much common sense to know that a response will happen.

              • @Franc-T:

                This isnt like, say people who went off to join ISIS or something

                Oh wait that was a different batch and the taxpayers paid for bringing the ISIS terrorists back as well.

                Plus 3000 from the Hamas supporters

                • +2

                  @dealman: This is just pure misinformation. Isis was supported by the US and Israel to try to topple the Syrian regime and Hezbollah was one of the groups supporting Assad against them. It was Hezbollah and the Russians in the end that pushed Isis out of Syria. Yet we constantly hear this misinformation that somehow the Syrian govt and Hezbollah are the terrorists and not Isis and their US backed proxy Israel. The Iranians also showed restraint after repeated Israeli attacks in faith that the US would help broker a deal. Everyone wants a peace deal except Isrsel, but at this point it's clear that the US is just taking the piss and they don't want one either.

                  Wake up to yourselves, nothing happens in that region without explicit US approval and support, if they really wanted to stop this they could cut weapons off and have peace tomorrow. Nasrallah offered a peace deal just before he was killed and the same with Haniyeh a few weeks ago.

            • +1

              @Assburg: I don't think you can paint your hypothetical brush over a group of people you do not know.

              They may have been visiting to care for frail and ill family. They may be there for humanity efforts etc.

              This reminds me of covid when the government decided to ban Australians (in India) of indian decent from returning home.

              Sounds like you knew things the general public did not know. Do you work for the Armed forces? Plenty of countries have smart traveller warnings. Surely you also predicted the Taliban returning to power in Afganistan last year. Did you warn everyone?

            • +2

              @Assburg: I am sure they will also expect to be credited their QFF points….

          • +5

            @hypie: Then what are they doing in Lebanon? Living over there on an Australian pension or centrelink?

            • +23

              @Farticus: What about a dial citizen that contributed to Australia their whole life and now went back to visit family or retire there? No they must be dole bludgers and terrorists.
              Try and open your mind up a bit mate

              • +4

                @Rick Sanchez: There's no point asking them to open up their mind, the same people think it's OK to put explosives in consumer electronics and then explode them with no idea who's holding them. Imagine that was reversed, it would be called state sponsored terrorism.

              • +5

                @Rick Sanchez: Should have listened to government advice over the last 6 months.

            • +16

              @Farticus: Farticus calls himself Australian but doesn't even know how the system works.
              When you leave the country for a holiday, if you are on any centrelink payments, they automatically stop until you return.

              Judging by your racist, uneducated comment, I wouldn't think that you don't know this because you've never been on centrelink but rather you're on centrelink but have never left the country…

              • -3

                @Thejedi: Literally made up a scenario to justify himself.

              • +7

                @Thejedi: Yo Jedi, re:

                'When you leave the country for a holiday, if you are on any centrelink payments, they automatically stop until you return.'

                That is utterly false. If you are on a 'jobseeker' payment they will stop that—because you can not be 'actively seeking a job in Australia' if you are not actually in Australia—but other types of payments will not cease just because you go on holiday out of Australia.

                • +1

                  @GnarlyKnuckles: Unless it's an approved reason for travel, Majority will be affected. And based on OP's comments it is quite reasonable to assume they were implying jobseeker payments.

                  Regardless, Here's a link for reference.

                  https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/payments-while-outside-…

                  • +4

                    @Thejedi: I don't know why you would supply a link confirming what I told you, i.e. a link pertaining solely to 'Jobseeker' payments, but anyways … you said 'any centrelink payments', and that is simply wrong.

                    • -1

                      @GnarlyKnuckles: Scroll down and folkow the hyperlinks to each payment.
                      Each payment has their own rules.
                      Youth allowance and ABstudy are also other ones that stop along with others like I previously said.

          • +13

            @hypie: Citizens of convenience…

          • +3

            @hypie: The assumption is they are also taxpayers, so they've paid for this flight back.

        • +4

          Out of interest, when have you yourself decided to “stay and fight and defend their country”?

      • I remember very similar situation during Covid. Free travel for Aussies escaping India. I found very different response in the comments section between text only post and the post with photos. People assume the Australian they are saving are.. you know. Then the pictures show someone who dress/look totally Indian.

        Just posting my observation and no personal opinion.

    • -1

      Think of it as a charitable donation.

    • +21

      (For those you are assuming that QF is paying out of pocket, dont worry they will be happy to write down these losses for this Financial Year)

      That still means they paid for them. A "write down" doesn't mean you get the money back.

      I don't know why you're choosing to be smart about something that's objectively a good thing.

    • +33

      yeh but our pockets (tax dollars) also pay for USA and allies (israel) wars so..

      • +10

        You mean we're funding a genocide?

        • +6

          shhhhh you will get cancelled, or perhaps you are a khamas supporter

    • +9

      Alblow (via John and Jenny Taxpayer) - will definitely have underwritten this …
      He and Qonnas go way back. There’ll be an arrangement by which they get paid, and paid very handsomely.

      Regardless: it’s a little galling that despite well advertised travel warnings and prolific news coverage, “Australians” have willingly left the safety many of them - or their relatives - sought as refugees in order to enter a war zone, and are now expecting to have their return journey arranged and financed by someone else. It’s the same as these clowns who march on Australian soil protesting the death of the leader of a terrorist organisation. As a nation we should demand more and deserve better from our citizens.

      We are the softest of soft touches, and this is no bargain.

      • +21

        I don't mind flying idiots back. I do agree they are idiots for being there when conflict has been heating up for a while now. The people waving hesbolah flags in our streets should be locked up.

        • +23

          israeli flags are ok? just not any of the neighbours? Or is the israeli government a beacon of morality and goodness in the desert?

          • +24

            @rooster7777: Careful there, mate. Might get labelled an antisemite.

            • +1

              @MassEffect: be quiet you anti-Semite goyim :P 'we are gods chosen people' we are above everyone else, god gave us that land ok, he gave us the deed and everything 3.5k years ago, basically the contract is between us and god it says we own that land fair and square, and no one lived there before us. the world is only 3.5k years old and no one existed in that land before god gave it to us

          • +21

            @rooster7777: @rooster7777 If you believe that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organisation you should petition the government to get it unlisted as one before flying their flag.

            • +2

              @sentinel: why are we going by Israel's definition of 'terrorism' instead of the 'dictionary' definition of terrorism? if we follow the dictionary definition of terrorism Israel and its apartheid Zionist regime and their supporters are the biggest terrorists we've seen in recent times..

          • +9

            @rooster7777: Depends on whether you think the outcome of wars should be honored. Israel won the Palestine war and got to pick what it's state border was. The Palestinians had to suck it up at the time but then many realised that they could fight back with terrorism later. I think it's easy to judge Israel but if NZ started lobbing kiwi shaped rockets at us I guarantee there would be an over the top military response.

          • +8

            @rooster7777: Ahhh, good old whataboutism, a true classic.

            • +8

              @Andoes: Yes like whatabout if many middle eastern countries decided to ignore a UN agreement and instead decided to attack said UN mandated country and wipe them off the map but instead find themselves on the losing side as a consequence of their naive and arrogant actions?
              There are consequences for starting a war and losing.
              Maybe Germany should start terrorising Poland to regain stolen territory? Another whataboutism!
              The point of whataboutism as you call it is, no conflict is completely unique and comparisons can be useful in highlighting the relative hypocrisy. That being said I don’t at all completely agree with Israel’s response or behaviour but I certainly see them as the much more reasonable side in the greater conflict.

              • -1

                @Clarky77: Don’t get me wrong man, I don’t actually care about any of it.

                I just like a little dig now and then.

          • +1

            @rooster7777: In a word, yes.

            :)

          • +3

            @rooster7777: Hesbolah is a recognised terrorist organisation. Israel might be assholes but they don't hunt down innocents on a mission to bring society under strict Islamist rule (which is 100x worse than living under Israel).

            • +9

              @gakko: israel doesn't hunt down innocents? what would you call the deliberate assassination of recognised foreign journalists and aid workers?

            • +5

              @gakko: recognised by who? conveniently Israel and its allies
              the same people who started wars in iraq that killed millions of innocent civilians, woman and children all under the false pretence of WMD's, the same people who pushed for war back then are doing it now to push war for iran.. there is a beautiful ironic video of young Netanyahu preaching at the UN that saddam hussain is evil has WMD's and without him middle east will be a very peaceful place.. lol we saw that alright.. Australia must stop riding USA's d!ck and stop blindingly joining them in war assisted genocide

              • +1

                @Roe Jogan:

                Australia must stop riding USA's d!ck and stop blindingly joining them

                You rise and sleep under the blanket of the very freedom that the I provide, and then question the manner in which it is provided?

                • +3

                  @1st-Amendment: the manner in which its provided is vile and pathetic, it can be done without supporting genocide we were doing just fine before we joined them in unjust criminal wars before 2003

                  • +1

                    @Roe Jogan:

                    the manner in which its provided is vile and pathetic

                    Compared to what?

                    we were doing just fine before we joined them in unjust criminal wars before 2003

                    We have been loyal allies with the US since we faced invasion from the Japanese in 1942. The 'doing fine' part was specifically thanks to that US allegiance. But this is the age of entitlement, and you sound very entitled…

                    • +1

                      @1st-Amendment: are you saying its fine to invade countries and kill their citizens in the process so we have the illusion of safety from another bully state that "says" they will support us if another country attack us? i wonder how your opinion would change if you and your family could trade places with those civilians having bombs dropped on your head or a marine squad kick down your door and arrest you or shoot you on the spot, now it seems like you are the entitled one sitting out here in the west not worrying what your government does, i suggest you watch some confessions from us marines that were recently posted on X explaining how they used to do these things and they have PTSD from it now and crying like little girls while telling the stories of what they used to do. there are other democracies that have manged to do just fine without partaking in these vile evil acts of assisting terrorism, Switzerland would come to mind

                      • +1

                        @Roe Jogan:

                        are you saying

                        Nope…

                        i wonder how your opinion would change

                        It wouldn't change at all. The world is filled with tyrants. The choice here is isn't good vs bad, it's bad vs badder, and bad is the least worst option. And as a small country if you don't choose one of the big bad guys to align with you get eaten. So you're pretending that there are options which don't exist.

                        Switzerland would come to mind

                        Lol, you might want to read up on that before making a fool of yourself. Where do you think all the terrorists keep their money?

          • @rooster7777: Yes. Israeli flags are good. They are a democracy that was attacked quite savagely from multiple sources all backed by Iran. No comparison between the morality.

          • +1

            @rooster7777: Lebanon flags like Israel flags are fine. Hezbollah flags are not as they are a terrorist organization.

        • +2

          At least a few people were charged, though its not a huge problem in itself - though honestly I think the government of Israel is at least as bad as Hezbollah - you got to feel sorry for the poor people caught up in this fight between two group of extremists.

          • +8

            @Franc-T: Israel supporters aren't a threat to Australia though. We have militant Islamists on our streets every Sunday now. We didn't ask for this.

Login or Join to leave a comment