Qantas resumes operations after 44-hour shutdown

Australian national carrier Qantas resumed operations today after the dramatic escalation of its dispute with unions led to an unprecedented 44-hour grounding leaving thousands of its passengers stranded.

The first Qantas domestic flight took off from the airport here with passengers cheering as boarding began after the airline was grounded on Saturday following series of union issues.

According to the local media, cheers were heard at gate two of the domestic terminal as the final boarding call was made for QF 438 to Sydney.

Passengers started boarding flights in Melbourne after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority granted the airline approval to fly.

Flights to Brisbane, Canberra and Perth are also ready to fly. However, many other passengers were still facing delays.

Meanwhile, flight QF46 from Christchurch, the first international Qantas flight to land in Sydney, has touched down and passengers have disembarked.

However, the airline will not be fully operational before Wednesday, with the initial focus being on the busy Sydney-Melbourne route, reports said.

The resumption of flights was ordered by industrial regulator Fair Work Australia, which after a marathon hearing ordered a complete end to the dispute between Qantas and unions.