International students arrived in Australia for the first time since the country shut its borders in a bid to curb the COVID-19 pandemic back in March. A flight chartered by Charles Darwin University (CDU) with 63 international students arrived in the northern city of Darwin on Monday, as part of a pilot programme aimed at kickstarting the higher education industry, reported AFP. 

New and continuing students — from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia — first travelled to Singapore to catch the flight. They will now quarantine for 14 days in a government facility.

As per AFP reports, CDU said in a statement it was “an important first step in the recovery of the international education sector in Australia.”

Australia’s fourth-largest export behind iron ore, coal and natural gas, the education sector brings about AU$37 billion into the country’s economy. With more than 500,000 international students enrolled last year, the country’s indefinite border closure has left Australian universities struggling to stay afloat. 

Similar proposals by universities in Canberra and Adelaide were previously denied, as the government sought to reserve places in quarantine facilities Australians stranded overseas. Despite government promises to bring them home by Christmas, more than 35000 Australian citizens still remain stuck abroad. 

Many international students also remain stuck in Australia, with some having rely on food handouts for survival.