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Qantas reopens Melbourne airfreight station after COVID infections

Eric Kulisch
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A Qantas A330 plane. Qantas' freight division has been dealing with a COVID outbreak at its Melbourne airport facilities. (Photo: Qantas)

Qantas Airways said Monday that its two freight terminals at Melbourne Airport have been cleared by the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria, Australia, to reopen.

The Qantas Freight facilities were closed for the past week to deal with an apparent outbreak of COVID-19 among employees.

The warehouses are allowed to gradually reintroduce staff in stages, with a small team returning Monday to clear freight already in the terminal, and prioritize medical and other urgent imports, Qantas Freight said on its website.

Shipments on charter flights coordinated by the Australian government’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism program are still being handled by Menzies Aviation, a ground support company. Qantas is accepting urgent medical shipments moving domestically.


The state of Victoria is under a state of emergency as novel coronavirus cases spike again, jeopardizing air and ocean logistics schedules.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. / CONTACT: ekulisch@freightwaves.com

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com