Statement from Brigadier Rose King, Joint Head of MIQ

A second red flight for people eligible for MIQ emergency allocations is scheduled to fly from Sydney to Auckland next Wednesday 15 September. The deadline for applications via the MIQ website is 5pm NZST (3pm AEST) on Saturday 11 September. All travellers on red flights must stay in MIQ for 14 days; the normal rules around paying for the stay will apply.

Following the Sydney-Auckland red flight on Sunday 5 September, when 93 people returned to New Zealand, a second flight will enable more people in urgent situations to come home. With emergency allocations suspended for people in Australia since July, this brings Australia back in line with the rest of the world, where people have continued to have access to emergency allocations.

Although an announcement on the future of quarantine-free travel with Australia is expected later in September, people who are eligible for this flight on 15 September are encouraged to take this opportunity to return to New Zealand.

All travellers on this flight must have the right to enter New Zealand, must have not been at a location of interest in the previous 14 days, and must present a negative pre-departure test when checking in at the airport. Eligible people who are booked on the 15 September flight must allow time to have their pre-departure test, to be taken within 72 hours of departure.

Due to the current COVID-19 community outbreak in New Zealand, this flight is not open to the public for bookings so no-one should be contacting the airlines directly.

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