Qantas has activated special fare waivers for passengers booked to or from Learmonth after Tropical Cyclone Narelle damaged airport infrastructure and road access across Western Australia’s Gascoyne coast. A notice on the airline’s travel-updates page stamped 11:50 am AWST, 18 April 2026, allows customers holding tickets issued on or before 30 March for travel between 19 March and 3 May to choose a fee-free refund, flight credit or date change. Learmonth – gateway to the Exmouth and Ningaloo tourism region and a key fly-in/fly-out hub for offshore energy projects – has been closed intermittently since mid-March. With the cyclone’s remnants still causing supply-chain disruptions, mining operators have begun rerouting essential personnel through Karratha or charter services.
![Cyclone Narelle: Qantas offers fee-free changes for Learmonth flights]()
For overseas contractors suddenly confronting unexpected stopovers or alternative routings, VisaHQ can quickly secure any required transit or entry visas online, keeping project timelines on track while ensuring compliance. Their Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers step-by-step guidance, real-time status updates and dedicated support for both individuals and corporate travel managers.
Travel-management companies say corporates must re-authorise changed routings in their online booking tools to ensure duty-of-care tracking remains accurate. The policy mirrors similar flexibility Qantas introduced for Cairns, Weipa and Port Hedland earlier in the season, underscoring how extreme-weather events are now baked into Australian domestic mobility planning. Insurers remind business travellers that airline waivers do not automatically extend hotel or hire-car contracts; assignees should reconfirm land arrangements before departing. Looking ahead, Exmouth Shire officials expect Learmonth’s terminal to reopen for limited turboprop services within a week, but wide-body capacity will depend on a runway inspection scheduled for 22 April. Companies with project cargo booked on passenger flights are advised to explore sea-freight alternatives until the assessment is complete.
For overseas contractors suddenly confronting unexpected stopovers or alternative routings, VisaHQ can quickly secure any required transit or entry visas online, keeping project timelines on track while ensuring compliance. Their Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers step-by-step guidance, real-time status updates and dedicated support for both individuals and corporate travel managers.
Travel-management companies say corporates must re-authorise changed routings in their online booking tools to ensure duty-of-care tracking remains accurate. The policy mirrors similar flexibility Qantas introduced for Cairns, Weipa and Port Hedland earlier in the season, underscoring how extreme-weather events are now baked into Australian domestic mobility planning. Insurers remind business travellers that airline waivers do not automatically extend hotel or hire-car contracts; assignees should reconfirm land arrangements before departing. Looking ahead, Exmouth Shire officials expect Learmonth’s terminal to reopen for limited turboprop services within a week, but wide-body capacity will depend on a runway inspection scheduled for 22 April. Companies with project cargo booked on passenger flights are advised to explore sea-freight alternatives until the assessment is complete.
