The route, which is currently being operated via Darwin to Heathrow, had been due to revert to a non-stop service in late March. However, Western Australia premier Mark McGowan on Thursday (20 January) said the state’s plans to reopen on 5 February would not go ahead.

McGowan said that owing to the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, reopening the state’s borders before a full booster jab roll-out would be "reckless and irresponsible". "Unfortunately, the world changed in December when Omicron arrived," he said.

"Allowing a wave of Omicron cases to fly straight into Perth from 5 February with no testing, no quarantine and no public health measures would cause a flood of the disease across our state."

The premier said under interim border rules, approved travellers would be permitted to enter the state subject to testing and quarantine. He added a decision on easing border controls would come "in the near future" once infections peak in the country’s more populated eastern coastal areas and once state officials "have a better understanding of the true impact of Omicron".

In an update largely concerning a review of domestic capacity in light of the decision, Qantas added: "Timing to reinstate Qantas’s Perth-London route, which is currently operating via Darwin and was due to return to Western Australia in late March 2022, is under review."

Queensland, though, will go ahead with some of its reopening plans this weekend. From Saturday (22 January), fully vaccinated international working holidaymakers and students, along with some limited international visa holders, will be permitted to enter the state without having to quarantine. They will, though, have to test on arrival.