Australia's Qantas, Jetstar halt overseas flights

ANKARA 

Australia's flag carrier Qantas and its budget unit Jetstar decided to suspend their scheduled international flights from late March to at least the end of May amid coronavirus pandemic.

Regularly scheduled overseas flights will continue until late March to assist repatriation in line with the government's recommendation against all overseas travel from Australia, the airline group said on Thursday.

Two-thirds of employees or 30,000 will be temporarily stood down from late March until at least the end of May, it said. 

"During the stand down, employees will be able to draw down on annual and long service leave and