‘No higher risk’: Melbourne Airport pushes to relax COVID-19 test rules

The risk would increase for passengers on the plane, Professor Bennett said, “[but] that still tends to be low, and only impact people who happen to be sitting around someone who is positive”.

There have been numerous recorded cases of COVID-19 transmission on flights, but studies have suggested aircraft are relatively lower-risk environments because air inside the cabin is frequent filtered and replaced with outside air.

International travel remains severely depressed despite Australia reopening its border to citizens and residents on November 1 and subsequently to some types of visa holders.

Melbourne Airport had 135,823 international passengers pass through its gates in December – the highest monthly figure since Australia closed its border in March 2020 at the outbreak of the pandemic and up from 17,573 in the same month last year. However, the December 2021 passenger figures were only around a tenth of its pre-pandemic traffic, with just over a million international travellers using the airport in December 2019.

Victoria and NSW both require vaccinated in-bound international travellers to take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arrival and isolate until they return a negative result. NSW requires travellers to take a second test six days after arrival, and travellers cannot visit certain settings including aged and disability care facilities within seven days.

Qantas declined to comment on pre-departure testing requirements, however the airline has called for states to drop their COVID-19 testing requirements for domestic travellers. Sydney Airport also declined to comment. Federal health minister Greg Hunt and the Department of Health have been contacted for comment.