A Qantas flight traveling from New Zealand to Sydney has landed safely after it issued a mayday call following an engine problem over the Pacific Ocean.

WELLINGTON – International air travel could come booming back next year but with a new rule: Travelers to certain countries must be vaccinated against the coronavirus before they can fly. But countries in Asia and the Pacific, in particular, are determined not to let their hard-won gains against the virus evaporate. "But certainly for international visitors coming out, and people leaving the country, we think that’s a necessity,” he said. “With the world coming closer to coronavirus vaccines and negative tests also becoming requirements for lifting travelers from self-quarantines in countries across the world, airlines are feeling the need for an effective system to screen passengers for vaccinations and tests,” Chung said. Many people are hoping that vaccinations will become widely available next year, paving the way for a broader reopening of international air travel.

WELLINGTON Qantas plans to cut at least 6,000 jobs and keep 15,000 more workers on extended furloughs as Australia's largest airline tries to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Qantas announced a plan Thursday to reduce costs by billions of dollars and raise fresh capital. The plan includes grounding 100 planes for a year or more and immediately retiring its six remaining Boeing 747 planes. Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the airline has to become smaller as it braces for several years of much lower revenues. This crisis has still hit us very, very hard and the impact will be felt for a long time," Joyce said.