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.

SYDNEY Black Eyed Peas musician will.i.am has accused a flight attendant from Australias national carrier Qantas of being racist and rude to him on a flight. The musician says he was met by police at Sydney Airport on Saturday after an incident with an overly aggressive flight attendant who he says was upset with him because he couldnt hear her through his noise-cancelling headphones. He tweeted a photo of a police officer and said: This is how your greeted when you land from Brisbane to Sydney flying @qantas with a #RacistFlightattendant. He then named the flight attendant. Qantas said in a statement it rejected the allegation that the incident had anything to do with race and said it was a misunderstanding. It said it would be following up with the musician.

In this image made from video, Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane lands at Sydney airport in Sydney, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. Australian airliner Qantas completed a non-stop flight from London to Sydney used to assess the effects of ultra-long-haul flights on crew fatigue and passenger jetlag. (Australia Pool via AP)Australias national carrier Qantas has completed a 19-and-a-half hour non-stop flight from London to Sydney, part of a series of tests to assess the effects of very long-haul flights. Last month, Qantas completed the first non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, which took 19 hours and 16 minutes. Another New York to Sydney flight is expected next month to round out the project.

Phil Walter/Getty Images(CNN) - Australian airline Qantas has completed the longest non-stop commercial passenger flight, researching the potential impacts of ultra-long haul flights on pilots, crew and passengers. With 49 people on board, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight completed the 10,066-mile journey from New York to Sydney in 19 hours and 16 minutes. Qantas Group Chief executive Alan Joyce said: "This is a really significant first for aviation. The next test flight will take place in November, from London to Sydney, while there will be another New York to Sydney flight before the end of the year. This information will then be shared with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority "to help inform regulatory requirements associated with ultra-long-haul flights," Qantas said in a statement.