As the domestic aviation industry entered Christmas, it looked like COVID was beat with almost all borders open. Australia was united again.

But the celebration quickly became a nightmare as an outbreak in Sydney's Northern Beaches sent the area into lockdown and spooked state leaders into reimposing restrictions.

In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, host Phil Tarrant and Adam Thorn discuss how the next few months will pan out, and how big a setback this is.

Plus, the team ask why Qantas started selling international flights for winter, and whether Deputy PM Michael McCormack was right to launch an angry rebuke.