Penny Wong says decision for Qantas to run initial services rather than military was based on ‘availability’ and speed
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The Australian government is planning a third repatriation flight from Israel, anticipating “quite large demand” to flee a conflict with ramifications for “months or years to come”.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, has insisted “safety and security of Australians” is the top priority, as the government faces questions about why Qantas is conducting the flights while some other nations send their military because commercial operators will not fly.