Australian Aviation: Recent Episodes
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Speaking to Patricia Karvelas on ABC News, Minister King said she had to “treat every bidder equally, which is why they need to work through the administration”. It comes after the government indicated it could nationalise Rex if a commercial buyer is not found.
The carrier says it has received CASA approval for its pet procedures, but regulators are moving slower than expected on the policy first announced almost a year ago.
A People’s Liberation Army – Air Force (PLA-AF) J-16 fighter aircraft dropped flares in close proximity to a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea on 11 February 2025, according to Defence.
French-led Exercise Rastaban 25 in January united RAAF’s 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) and French Naval aviators from 17F Squadron during the deployment of the French carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle to the Indo-Pacific.
Provided under the fourth round of the Regional Airports Program, the grants are aimed at delivering “essential upgrades” such as runway resurfacing, fencing, lighting and drainage, to improve safety, capacity, and accessibility.
The daily service, to launch on 20 June, will give Sydney Airport six Hong Kong flights per day in total between three carriers, and a 20 per cent boost in seat capacity over current levels. It will likely use Hong Kong Airlines’ A330-300 aircraft.
The announcement on Tuesday night, which comes after $80 million in funding and the purchase of $50 million in Rex debt from financier PAG, is the clearest signal yet that the airline could become the first to be owned by an Australian government since Qantas was privatised in the 1990s.
With Paul Jones out of the running, Adam and Jake discuss what might be next for Virgin as the CEO search continues.
The IGNIS project, a collaboration with Australian universities, will use sensors to provide a “3D view inside a thundercloud” that could one day alert firefighters on the ground to new blazes.
The Australian government has already announced intentions to purchase four of the surveillance aircraft, which can fly at 50,000 feet for more than 24 hours at a time.
The industry body argued the amount is a “significant sum” to its smaller members, who would likely only receive a fraction of the money should the carrier be eventually liquidated.
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The tool, used to turn an engine compressor on VH-OQI during borescope inspections, is believed to have been left inside during routine maintenance on 6 December 2023 and was not found until a scheduled maintenance check at LAX on 1 January 2024, almost a month later.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin flights in and out of Denpasar recommenced on Thursday after being suspended for several days due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, which began on 3 November, creating hazardous ash clouds.
Air bp’s safe2go platform is a unique cloud-based, digital solution that provides an engineering barrier designed to reduce the risk of misfuelling. Each year, globally, Air bp fuelling operators refuel around one million aircraft ‘overwing’ using a fuelling nozzle. Overwing fuelled aircraft are typically small aircraft with 19 seats or less. Overwing fuelling carries an
In its submission to the ACCC, the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) said that the proposal – which would see Qatar take a 25 per cent stake in Virgin, as well as wet-lease its planes to the smaller carrier for flights to Doha – would create job opportunities for Australian pilots.
Australian Aviation is calling on Australia’s defence and national security professionals to submit an entry or nominate a colleague or initiative by Thursday 13 February 2025 to be in the running for one of the coveted awards.
Adam and Jake discuss whether the government’s $80 million financing for Rex is likely to bear fruit, and what it might mean for the beleaguered carrier’s regional rivals.
After almost two decades spent pursuing legal action, former long-haul flight attendant Sara Rossi had her latest proceedings tossed out by a Federal Court appeal bench on Wednesday afternoon.
As reported by The Australian Financial Review, in figures from the middle of 2024, for the morning peak – 6am to 11am on weekdays – Qantas held 103 take-off slots, with Virgin holding 57 and Rex only seven.
The fly-through animation shows the airport’s new parallel runway and terminal facilities, as well as other features including its first multi-storey carparks and airport hotel, to be built over the next 10 years in what is being dubbed the “one airport” program.
The approval would speed up parts availability for Australian Defence Force aircraft while driving down overall sustainment costs.
The two-seater Tiger attack helicopters were originally introduced into service with the ADF in 2004 and are expected to be withdrawn from service in 2027/2028.
Despite concerns the bondholders presently have a “barely arguable” case against Velocity, the Federal Court granted leave to join the frequent flyer program to the Virgin class action.
In its latest Domestic Airline Competition report, the consumer and competition watchdog found average airfares went up 13.3 per cent across all major city routes from Rex’s collapse at the end of July to September, with Qantas Group and Virgin now flying 98 per cent of domestic passengers.
$80 million in financing will be provided to keep the business and its regional services afloat as EY Australia continues to search for a buyer, with the administrator applying to the Federal Court to extend the voluntary administration to 30 June 2025.
John Ferrara, who bought the site in 2011, said earlier this year he was retiring and listed everything as one package.
Under a Deed of Compromise approved by the country’s Supreme Court, all shares in Air Vanuatu will be turned over to the government-owned company AV3 and the airline handed back to its management.
China Southern will fly non-stop to Beijing Daxing Airport four times per week from 13 December, with 28 business class seats and 258 economy class seats on each of its A330s.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government has so far secured almost 600 seats on flights departing Lebanon, most if not all via Cyprus, and that “now is the time to leave”.
The visits are part of a series of activities the Air Force is conducting across the north-west of WA, exploring opportunities, building relationships and exposing its people to operating from remote locations outside their home bases.
A Piper PA-30 Twin Engine Comanche aircraft, VH-8MN, was tasked with taking off and landing at both ends of the runway in daylight, dusk and nighttime conditions to ensure the airport’s 3,000 Aeronautical Ground Lights (AGLs) were fit for purpose ahead of the 2026 opening.
The airline has commenced its summer schedule, which triples its Melbourne-King Island services to nine per week; it also flies return between King Island and Burnie/Launceston 12 times per week.
Westaway, who was executive head of corporate relations at Jetstar from 2004 to 2011, has also worked for Impulse Airways and Tourism Australia. He replaces James Goodwin, who left the AAA in a surprise announcement in July.
The drones were among multiple items confiscated by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers as part of a Counter Proliferation investigation into the suspected export of military-grade and military end‑use items to Russia, while searching an Eden Hills residence in Adelaide on 27 September.
Pilots from both the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) and Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) voted against the deal, which included a two-year wage freeze followed by annual increases of 3 per cent, as well as a $5,000 “Recovery Boost” payment.
Adam and Jake discuss the fallout from Qatar's deal to obtain a stake in Virgin Australia, which effectively allows it to overrule Transport Minister Catherine King's decision to stop Qatar's expansion.
The revelation will add to scepticism that the deal for Qatar to acquire a stake in Virgin is being done to circumvent rules preventing it from flying more services out of Australia.
The issue with the airline’s South Korean booking website last week resulted in some trans-Tasman economy fares as far out as September 2025 going for as low as 6,100 Korean won (under $7), while business fares were seen from 12,500 won ($14).
Qantas Freight will occupy a 24,000-square-metre cargo operation at WSI, including around 14,000 square metres of warehousing. The hub will be capable of servicing Qantas’ new and upgraded A330 and A321 freighters when it opens alongside the rest of the airport in 2026.
The news comes just over a year after Transport Minister Catherine King controversially blocked the expansion of Qatar flights into major Australian airports – a decision that Virgin, a codeshare partner of Qatar, criticised.
Speaking to ABC’s Four Corners, Sharp, who took over as chairman after the ousting of former executive chairman Lim Kim Hai, said the board had worked out a “rescue package” for the airline’s beleaguered domestic arm that involved offloading it in its entirety to its larger rival.
The crashed aircraft was discovered late last year in the waters off the coast of Gasmata, Papua New Guinea, by Dr Andrew Forrest and Ocean Ecology.
The airline plans to operate a third daily A330-300 service from 30 March next year, which will allow it to switch its daily Brisbane and Melbourne flights – currently operating to Narita – to Haneda instead. It currently flies twice daily to Haneda from Sydney.
The Australian has reported that no single buyer has come forward, according to the source, though a number of items – including a small house near Sydney Airport, the airline’s 737 flight simulator, and an inventory of spare parts – have been sold to provide some extra cash.
Flight QF63 departed Sydney for Johannesburg on board VH-OQH at 10:20am on Monday, with Qantas saying the inaugural flights were fully booked in both directions. This is the first time any carrier has flown A380 services between Australia and South Africa.
The line maintenance staff, who are responsible for towing and marshalling aircraft as well as performing turnaround checks, joined existing strike action by engines and components maintenance workers.
At the end of trading on Thursday, shares in the Flying Kangaroo were valued at $7.45, beating the $7.35 recorded on 20 December 2019. Those brave enough to invest in the national career at its lowest point would have now more than trebled their investment.
In his first comments since a damning report, Richard Goyder argued Alan Joyce's top-down approach as CEO was necessary during COVID but agreed with criticism the company didn’t do enough to revert back to normal when the pandemic ended.
The survey – conducted by Agile Market Intelligence in partnership with Defence Connect – asks businesses to evaluate the performance of large defence contractors they have collaborated with.
The 74.25 per cent interest is set to be acquired by a consortium comprising KKR and the Skip Essential Infrastructure Fund for an undisclosed amount, with the consortium reported to have defeated AustralianSuper, among others, in the bidding war.
Court documents signed off by both the ACCC and Qantas have also disclosed that staff were aware customers were booking the cancelled services and that passengers weren’t notified immediately of the error.
The clash between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions in Melbourne on Saturday is expected to see more than 254,000 passengers pass through the terminals at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Airports, with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar all adding more capacity to meet demand.
A team of soldiers from Australian Army 2nd Division, Australian Army 4th Combat Service Support Battalion, 1st/19th Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment, Australian Army Cadets and the Royal Australian Air Force have now won the tournament three years in a row, following their latest victory at the event held in London earlier this month.
Staff from the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance, which comprises the AMWU, the AWU, and the ETU, downed tools in Melbourne on Thursday, with more strikes planned at other major airports over the next two weeks. The alliance warns it is “highly likely to affect Qantas flights in all major capitals”.
Tim Jordan promised to revolutionise domestic travel in Australia after finally finding backers for his life’s ambition, Bonza. But following the budget carrier’s collapse into liquidation after less than 18 months, Adam Thorn asks whether the Englishman was right to trust its ultimate owners, 777 Partners.
Adam and Jake examine the arguments around a potential break-up of Qantas Group and ask if there’s any way for a new player to enter the crowded domestic market.
The 32-hectare development will be located between the Tullamarine Freeway and Airport Drive, and is set to be built in three stages over approximately nine years, with construction expected to begin next year and the first tenants tipped for 2026.
The screening staff, employed through Trident Services, were demanding wage parity with staff at Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville Airports, saying the difference “has no justification”. The action was called off on Wednesday afternoon, with members set to vote on the offer in the near future.
The system is tailored to RAAF Base Darwin’s specific security requirements and Darwin’s unique environment and will leverage a family of systems approach, deploying a range of active and passive sensors, and kinetic and non-kinetic effectors.
The twice-weekly Jetstar 787-8 service will end on 30 April, to be supplanted in May by Qantas A330s, which will operate three times per week. Qantas says it will operate 40,000 seats on Melbourne-Honolulu per year, replacing 335 Jetstar seats per flight.
The IVL – paid when visitors request an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) or apply for a visa – is set to increase from NZ$35 (around AU$32) to NZ$100 (around AU$92) from 1 October. Visitors on Australian and NZ passports are exempt from the fee.
An ATSB investigation into the incident concluded that the employee had worked multiple night shifts in a row with "reduced extended rest periods", which likely reduced their ability to "obtain restorative sleep".
The airport has released 27 hectares of developable land, its largest single release since 2002, and is looking to increase direct air freight access to Adelaide and encourage more cargo to travel through the city rather than larger gateways like Sydney or Melbourne.
The new weekly podcast lifts the veil on how state and non-state actors compete for influence below the threshold of armed conflict, informing business and public sector leaders on how malicious actors exploit Australia’s financial and social systems for their gain.
Speaking on a panel at the 2024 Australian Aviation Summit, Virgin Australia’s Christian Bennett, the TWU’s Emily McMillan, and Google Wing’s Jesse Suskin discussed how measures in the White Paper could boost consumer confidence in aviation.
The news comes amid recent weather troubles at the airport, which again experienced heavy delays on Monday as high winds of up to 120km/h hit the east coast, forcing the closure of two runways and the cancellation of more than 60 domestic flights.
The new plane, to be registered VH-8QB (similar aircraft pictured), will be based in Adelaide to help grow the airline’s operations in South Australia, and has been leased from international aircraft lessor Avmax.
The inaugural flight, JQ842, touched down at Whitsunday Coast Airport at 6:13pm on Sunday, 1 September, aboard the A320-200 VH-YXS. Services will operate three days per week, with Jetstar celebrating what it says is the first ever direct connection between Adelaide and Proserpine.
The low-cost carrier is basing up to four planes and 60 pilots in the west, as announced in November, having already commenced services last month to Singapore and Phuket.
Speaking at the inaugural 2024 Australian Aviation Summit, Sharp said the sector is 'at a really critical time for the future of aviation'.
The NZ flag carrier posted a NZ$222 million (AU$204 million) profit in FY24, down from NZ$574 million (AU$530 million) in FY23, which it attributed to previously-forecast headwinds in the second half of the year.
The Leonardo AW139 helicopters are set to replace two existing B412 aircraft, and will operate from Babcock’s Horn Island base by the end of the year.
The year-long program will see transportable drone docks used around the state for law enforcement tasks including emergency response, surveillance, and search and rescue.
Almost 30 individual professionals and organisations were declared winners at the Australian Aviation Awards this year, including engineers, pilots, aviation safety professionals, start-ups, and innovators.
The work stoppages will occur from 1am to 5am, 7am to 11am, and 6pm to 10pm on Friday 23 August, and could affect 16 airlines including Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Delta and British Airways, with longer domestic and long-haul international flights most likely to be impacted.
New BITRE figures released by the Department of Transport also revealed, industry-wide, just 72.5 per cent of flights departed on time in July.
The 777X fleet, slated to be the world’s largest twin-engine widebody when it begins operations, has been grounded after a key component – said to be a structural component between the engine and the airframe – was found to be faulty.
Plaintiff firm Echo Law has lodged proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia on behalf of 'hundreds of thousands' of Jetstar customers whose flights were cancelled during the COVID pandemic.
According to a recent filing with the ASX, the aerospace engineering, manufacturing, and aftermarket services provider outlined it was looking to “sell all or a majority” share of the business unit to a global entity with a focus on the MRO market.
The project has secured $760,000 in Queensland Government funding and aims to start construction in 2026. It will use LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to create ethanol-based fuel, with the expectation of 102 million litres of SAF per year.
The Shanghai-based carrier will operate three 787-9 Dreamliner flights per week between Melbourne and Shanghai Pudong Airport starting on 19 December, increasing to daily services in the peak period. Each flight will carry up to 324 passengers, including 29 in business class.
Investigations and hearings into the fatal crash of Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter, call sign Bushman 83, on 28 July last year continue to provide unclear answers and an uncertain release date for any official accident report.
In this special episode, former F-15 pilot Joel Neeb, visiting Sydney from the US, talks through his amazing career and the secret sauce that makes the best fighter pilots.
Under the three-year deal with Airways International, the commercial arm of Airways New Zealand, Airservices will trial the TotalControl mobile training simulator, including Airways staff acting as pilots for remote instruction.
The airshow, held over the weekend, achieved 100 per cent occupancy throughout Surfers Paradise and over 92 per cent occupancy across the Gold Coast, according to figures from Experience Gold Coast.
In an email to Rex staff seen by the ABC, administrators EY Australia said 73 out of 261 more Rex domestic positions are likely to face the axe, with 594 having already been shed. The redundancies will reduce Rex’s workforce to around its pre-domestic-expansion levels of 1,200 employees.
The $1.79 million early-stage project looks to develop a 'lightweight, high-pressure, hydrogen vessel (tank) using Advanced Fiber Placement (AFP) technology' specifically for hydrogen-powered drones.
Former Rex executive chairman Lim Kim Hai allegedly recorded the meeting at the end of July, at which the board voted to appoint EY as administrators, without the consent of those present, according to reports in The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.
Over 10,000 aircraft operators and more than 13 million users could have had their personal details and passwords inadvertently exposed, possibly including thousands of Australians.
The free bookings, which were announced as Rex went into administration on 31 July, are enough to fill around 715 737-800s at full capacity, with 30,000 of the rebooked flights having already been taken.
The Australia Travel Declaration will be accessible to passengers on select Qantas flights from New Zealand, who will be able to complete it through the Qantas app up to 72 hours before arrival.
While total ground delays were up 33 per cent during the month, most of these were due to weather issues including crosswinds at Sydney and low visibility events in Brisbane and Melbourne, and just two per cent were attributable to Airservices.
A list of allegations, based on alleged breaches of Virgin’s policies pertaining to alcohol consumption and fatigue management, was made against cabin crew member Dylan Macnish by his former employer over conduct ranging from September 2023 to the end of that year.
Flight QZ542 landed from Denpasar at 6:10am on Thursday aboard the A320-200 PK-AZD, leaving around an hour later. Announced in June, the return flights between Cairns and Bali will operate three times per week, adding more than 28,000 seats to the Cairns market in the first year.
In a statement, Transport Minister Catherine King announced that passengers on all regional flights booked through Rex since it entered administration at 9:31pm on 30 July will “either fly or get their money back”.
Skyports and Wagner will look at potential vertiport sites in Wagner’s real estate portfolio around South-East Queensland and collaborate with potential electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operators, including Wisk, to find locations and support advanced air mobility (AAM).
The latest delivery by United States Air Force C17 Globemaster III aircraft at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney in July brings the Australian Army’s UH-60M Black Hawk fleet to eight.
In this special episode, Jesse Young, head of flight operations at Leidos, and Lea Vesic, CEO of RMIT’s Aviation Academy, talk candidly about what it will take to build and retain our future workforce.
The $217 million precinct will be located between the airport’s two parallel runways and will house both aircraft and resources for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, LifeFlight, Retrieval Services Queensland and Queensland Police Service Aviation Capability Group.
In a statement, the transport safety watchdog said its investigators were expected to complete their evidence collection phase on Wednesday as part of their probe into the crash of Nautilus Aviation helicopter VH-ERH.
Nautilus said the employee had “gained unauthorised access” to the helicopter hangar and “misappropriated” one of the Robinson R44 aircraft, hours after a party had been held among staff to celebrate his promotion.
The union said these workers are among the lowest-paid in the industry, with some receiving base pay of just over $50,000 annually, and could receive pay rises of more than $10,000 if the applications are successful, bringing their pay in line with Jetstar’s directly-employed cabin crew.
Crews from 40 Squadron located at RNZAF Base Auckland, Whenuapai, will operate the new C-130Js, representing one of the most advanced configurations of the Super Hercules ever produced.
Aviation Australia CEO Glenn Ryan AM will participate in a panel session at the Australian Aviation Summit alongside other industry heavyweights about how the industry could attract the next generation into aviation.
The RAAF has already hosted German military aircraft and personnel during the recent air combat training activity, Exercise Pitch Black, in the Northern Territory.
The airline, which had also been considering the Airbus A220-100, has ordered eight of the second-generation E-Jets, with the first to be delivered from the second half of 2025.
Nautilus Aviation, which owned the helicopter that hit the roof of the DoubleTree hotel on the Cairns Esplanade at around 1:50am, said the flight was “unauthorised” and that it is working with authorities including Queensland Police and the ATSB to investigate the matter.
The device, which will see use by more than 2,250 crew members for training and assessment over the next 12 months, includes 52 fully-functioning seats across Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Premier classes.
Appearing in the Federal Court to outline next steps, voluntary administrators from EY Australia said it would be “inutile” and costly for former chairman Lim Kim Hai to move forward with an extraordinary general meeting while directors do not have any power.
The official clarification came in response to recent speculation that the MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone would not carry weapons and instead be shifted to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.
In an email to Rex Flyer members seen by Australian Aviation, administrator Sam Freeman said tier benefits will continue to be honoured, and customers will still be able to earn points – including tier bonus points – during the period of the voluntary administration.
The carrier, which restarted pilot training flights last month with the support of the Vanuatu government and civil aviation authority, will share further details on the flights – including a schedule and booking process – shortly, according to a statement from liquidator EY Australia.
The Superstars of STEM program, which is also open to non-binary people, has already delivered media training to 210 people since its launch in 2017. The scheme is backed by Defence, the Department of Science, and Google and is overseen by Science & Technology Australia.
Simon Hickey will participate in a fireside chat to discuss the airport’s progress ahead of its planned opening in late 2026, with the audience able to ask questions.
Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Petra Popovac, CEO of Airport Coordination Australia (ACA), said her company is not to blame for the failures of Rex and Bonza, which had each reportedly struggled to break into the Sydney market before going into administration this year.
Announced in February as part of a slew of government reforms, the competitive tender process will require prospective slot managers to demonstrate how they would deliver on those reforms, and “manage and mitigate conflicts of interest in a transparent way”.
Snow, who announced in May he was stepping back from active management of the airport after 26 years, died of natural causes this week.
The four trainees studied 10 weeks online and 20 weeks face-to-face, and will now return to Australia for additional instruction in Airservices’ Melbourne facility before being sent to control towers at regional airports for their final field training.
The news caps a sensational turnaround after Rex took the leases of old Virgin aircraft following its own collapse in the midst of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Regional Saab 340 flights are currently unaffected and will continue to operate, while subsidiaries Pel-Air Air Ambulance Services and Australian Airline Pilot Academy also remain outside of administration and under the control of their respective directors.
The six hours of industrial action, which had been slated for Wednesday, will not go ahead, with Ampol making refuellers a better offer after six months of negotiations. The good-faith talks are to continue Friday on “a number of outstanding items”, the union said.
In a press release, Sharp, which operates 23 Metroliner turboprop aircraft servicing five states, said the Government should offer support to Rex, but “only on routes that Rex is the sole operator”.
The Federal Government says the airport is now 80 per cent complete, with internal works such as lounges, departure areas and retail space able to proceed in the weatherproof building. The roof also features more than 6,000 solar panels to help power the airport.
Australian Aviation has verified that domestic bookings past 30 July appear to be unavailable, while tickets for regional flights served by the airline’s Saab 340 fleet are still on sale. The Australian Financial Review has reported Ernst & Young (EY) is likely to be appointed as an administrator.
The carrier, which is also withdrawing from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), said “many of the levers” it needs to meet its target, including the ability to acquire new aircraft, availability and affordability of alternative fuels, and regulatory and policy support, are out of its hands.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday, Transport Minister Catherine King said she is ready to “see whether there’s any assistance or anything the Government needs to do” to help Rex, but did not go into detail.
Lawyers for the Big Four accounting firm, which The Australian reported over the weekend had been called in to examine the airline’s finances, said in a letter seen by the Australian Financial Review that Deloitte would not accept any potential appointment as voluntary administrator.
The airport saw 5.6 million domestic travellers in 2023–24, up more than 210,000 on the previous high-water mark, as well as 706,000 international travellers. Sydney and Melbourne routes to the Gold Coast were among the five busiest in the country.
The woman reportedly collapsed on board VA308 from Brisbane to Melbourne at around 9:30am, with medical experts administering CPR in-flight.
Australian Aviation understands that passengers on a QantasLink flight from Kingscote – an unscreened airport – were able to enter Adelaide Airport without proper screening at around 11am.
The halt follows a story published in The Australian over the weekend claiming that Rex had called in a “turnaround team” from big four accounting firm Deloitte and that the airline has been having trouble turning a profit in its domestic jet operations.
The airport in northern NSW will be moving to controlled airspace with the construction of a “digital tower” next year, which Airservices says is part of its plan to foster “sustainable aviation growth” while modernising airspace at regional airports.
The launch provider added that it had earmarked “a few potential sites” and would leverage its existing orbital launch technology but provided few other details.
The accident, which took place during Exercise Talisman Sabre, resulted in the deaths of Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
Air missions were temporarily suspended after the fighter jet encountered an unknown issue during a training flight on Wednesday, causing the pilot to eject before being taken to hospital.
Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Delta and British Airways are among 16 airlines that could be hit with cancellations and delays next Wednesday, as all are serviced at Sydney by Ampol.
Adam and Jake discuss the pandemonium at Australian airports from last week’s CrowdStrike IT outage.
The low-cost carrier made the decision in May to drop the route, which operates up to four times per week, leaving Cairns–Darwin served only by Airnorth and QantasLink. The move does not appear to have been covered by local media at the time, despite a statement from a Jetstar spokesperson.
A pair of Robinson R22 cattle mustering helicopters collided shortly after take-off at around 6:20am on Thursday. Both pilots, a 29-year-old and a 30-year-old man, died in the accident at Mt Anderson Station near Camballin in the Kimberley region just east of Broome.
The Italian Air Force EFA 2000 Typhoon pilot, who was participating in Exercise Pitch Black 24, is safe and has been transported to hospital for precautionary checks after ejecting from their aircraft during flying operations.
The Sydney Gateway project has been opening in stages since November, with the final stage to open on 1 September. The NSW government said the five kilometres of new roads around the airport will save an estimated 17 minutes between the terminals and the St Peters interchange.
Liquidator Ernst & Young (EY) Australia, which was called in after the airline collapsed in May, said domestic flights will be back “in the short term”, with no timing as of yet for the return of international operations.
A government source this week confirmed to The Australian that plans to make the Ghost Bat a “killer drone” had been shelved after manufacturer Boeing lost out on a US program to make autonomous combat jets.
An international participant is safe and well after ejecting from their aircraft on Wednesday during flying operations, according to a statement issued by Defence.
VH-HJE ran out of fuel en route from Bankstown to Archerfield on 7 April 2023 on the return leg of a freight charter flight, the ATSB said in its final report. It struck multiple trees on its way down, sustaining “substantial” damage but inflicting only “very minor injuries” to the pilot.
VH-DZJ crashed in Port Phillip Bay on 19 November 2023 after colliding with another S-211, VH-DQJ, during an aerobatic formation filming flight.
Darwin Airport’s owner, Airport Development Group (ADG), is revising its Conditions of Use (COU) charges for the airport from 1 August. The airport shares runways with RAAF Base Darwin.
Rob Sharp, who left Virgin in 2019 as part of a management restructure, was CEO of Tigerair for four years before becoming Virgin’s group executive for airlines. After Virgin, he served as secretary of Transport for NSW from 2021–23, and will now serve a 12-month term at Airservices.
The TWU says the four-hour flight, which carried the Fremantle Dockers AFL team home from Launceston to Perth on Saturday, 13 July, ran out of water after around half an hour, disabling the toilets and posing a “significant health and safety risk”.
The Australian company, part-owned by Rex, unveiled the powertrain at an event in Seville, the first of its kind in Spain. The system demonstrated in Seville was designed for a Beechcraft King Air, and comes after Dovetail had been on the hunt for a European location since 2022.
It comes with Wing’s Jesse Suskin set to speak at Australian Aviation’s upcoming Australian Aviation Summit on 29 August.
Adam and Jake discuss Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson’s suggestion that Australia has no room for more domestic airlines.
Shares in the US publicly listed technology company have drastically fallen over the past week following massive market capitalisation reportedly equating to approximately $2 billion.
The super fund for Qantas employees and spouses is worth around $9 billion, and when completed, the merger will see over 26,000 Qantas Super members join the almost $300 billion ART fund.
The survey, launched earlier this week, is looking to gauge customer interest in Perth flights among customers in the Newcastle and Hunter region, and has already attracted more than 4,500 responses; it also asks about interest in potential flights to Europe.
In a draft conclusion, the NZ Commerce Commission (NZCC) came out in support of Auckland Airport’s infrastructure investments, but questioned the airport’s revenue and targeted returns.
The low-cost carrier is now behind only Qantas as it grew 149 per cent internationally in Brisbane over the past year, thanks to a massive ramp-up in Asia flights and a boost in services to Auckland.
The Qantas CEO’s comments come after Bonza, which had ambitions to connect mostly regional destinations unserved or underserved by the major players, was put into liquidation earlier this month.
The Australian aerospace company, specialising in hydrogen scramjet propulsion technology and hypersonic aircraft design and manufacture, has announced that it signed a framework contract with the MOD earlier this month for the multi-supplier Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF) initiative.
Virgin Australia captain Deborah Lawrie earned her position in the cockpit by taking legal action in 1979 against Ansett, which had refused to employ female pilots.
The not-for-profit’s helicopters and jets assisted 8,177 people in FY24, up 11.2 per cent on the previous year. LifeFlight helicopters chalked up 5,159 total flying hours, an increase of 25 per cent, across 3,378 total rotary-wing missions.
Qantas and Australia’s biggest pilots' union went head to head in court over the airline’s decision to bypass senior pilots for prestigious roles flying the A380 – but both came out with a loss.
A panel including Rex’s Ron Bartsch, Qantas’ Harry Jobberns and Jet Zero’s Ed Mason discuss the sector’s push towards net zero.
The apparent boardroom coup comes weeks after Lim Kim Hai stepped back from his role and long-serving leaders John Sharp and chief operating officer Neville Howell were promoted.
The collection of countries was formally established on 14 February this year in an initiative proposed by Latvia and coordinated with the United Kingdom.
VH-OQH (pictured in Sydney last year) blew out three of its 22 tyres after it was forced to return to Changi Airport due to technical issues shortly after take-off of flight QF1 to London on 7 July.
On-time arrivals were still the second-worst of every major region, above only North America at 74 per cent and well below the global average of 86 per cent.
The company recently announced an increase in the number of military components in support of the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy aircraft.
Approximately 140 aircraft and more than 4,000 personnel from 20 nations are participating in this year’s iteration of Exercise Pitch Black from 12 July to 2 August. The event is celebrating the largest participation in its 43-year history.
VH-YQX (pictured) was photographed by a friend of Australian Aviation contributor Rob Finlayson with the majority of its QantasLink branding removed, having arrived in Victorville on 11 April.
On average, the Flying Kangaroo took 97 days to finalise a customer complaint last year, compared to 19 for Rex, 18 for Jetstar and 16 for Virgin Australia. Qantas says it has since improved its time to 15 days in the second half of last year and 11 days in the first half of 2024.
According to CASA, the workshops featured “facilitated conversations, First Nations-led case studies, and drone policy design sessions, aiming to integrate modern technology with traditional knowledge and practices”.
In its final report into the October 2022 crash of the Bell 206B JetRanger registered VH-PHP, the ATSB found it was likely the pilot, who was en route from Casino in the state’s north to Warnervale on the Central Coast, “experienced an incapacitating event”.
Ground testing on the powertrain for electric aviation firm AMSL Aero’s Vertiia eVTOL aircraft is underway at Bankstown, with cylinders of hydrogen fuel on-site and in use.
Submissions and nominations have opened for the inaugural Momentum Media Australian AI Awards 2024, which champions the aerospace sector for contributing to the dynamic field of artificial intelligence.
Marc Devine, who joined Alliance as a financial controller before serving as CFO for seven years, will end his term on 30 August, to be replaced by Andrew Evans.
Queensland Air Museum, based in Caloundra, is one of 16 organisations receiving grants of up to $1,000 as part of the airport’s inaugural $15,000 Community Support Fund.
Registered VH-8D3, the helicopter, owned and operated by Babcock Australasia, will replace an existing Bell 412 in the State Rescue Helicopter Service (SRHS) as part of a $150 million, four-year contract extension.
The ambitious system, designed to unite civil and military air traffic control across Australia, was originally conceived after a 2009 national aviation white paper but was later added as a 'project of concern' in 2017.
The airline's new safety video stands in contrast to one released by Qantas earlier this year, which was loaded with location shots but criticised for not having any scenes on an actual aircraft.
Ninety-two per cent of workers participated in the ballot which opened last week, voting unanimously in favour of strikes, which would allow around 50 refuelling employees at Sydney Airport to take action in coming weeks and months absent a fresh deal by Ampol.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said that while the government cannot “wish away” the years spent in deadlocked negotiations over the station design, she is pleased that the airport has now relented.
The historic aircraft, built at Douglas’ Santa Monica plant in May 1935, will be restored and displayed at the museum at Shellharbour Airport in NSW, though is not expected to fly again at this stage.
The planemaker will pay a US$487.2 million fine, the maximum allowed, and pour at least $455 million over the next three years into compliance and safety programs. It will also be placed under a three-year probation to be supervised by an independent monitor to ensure compliance.
The deal will allow the joint delivery of the diploma of aircraft maintenance engineering (mechanical) by Aviation Australia, providing a pathway for local students in the region to attain the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66 aircraft maintenance licence.
The three-times-week service will use the carrier's Airbus A330s and operate between 17 December 2024 and 29 March 2025.
The Australian Federal Police have charged a 42-year-old for allegedly creating fake Wi-Fi networks to steal personal data.
It comes after Lockheed Martin beat Northrop Grumman last year to win the $765 million contract to revolutionise how Australia monitors and shoots down incoming missiles.
Starting 28 October, the airline will increase Perth–Hong Kong services from six to 11 per week and Brisbane–Hong Kong services from six to 10 per week, with Sydney and Melbourne to retain their current four and three flights per day respectively.
Starting 4 July, the weekly flights will operate non-stop from Brisbane to Espiritu Santo on Thursdays, returning the same day via Port Vila on a similar schedule to the former Air Vanuatu route.
The Qatari flag carrier, which has been angling to increase its presence in Australia but was last year rebuffed by the federal government, could be interested in buying up to 20 per cent of Virgin from current owner Bain Capital.
Starting 10 September, Qantas will fly three 737-800 services per week from Brisbane to Port Vila, with the capacity for up to five based on demand, while Jetstar will begin up to four weekly flights from Sydney to Port Vila on 12 December.
The grant is aimed at enabling a Pegasus joint development project between V-TOL Aerospace, Li-S Energy, and Halocell to develop a drone that integrates the next-generation batteries of Li-S and Halocell’s advanced solar cells into a “dawn to dusk” platform.
With Bonza’s liquidation now likely a foregone conclusion, Adam, Jake and Ben examine whether the government should support more low-cost carriers.
In an email seen by The Guardian, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) noted that, while technically eligible to claim remediation for taxpayer-funded bookings under the Flying Kangaroo’s deal with the ACCC, affected politicos and their staff should pass up the money.
According to an ASX filing, Quickstep Holdings will reduce headcount in its direct production and operational support units by 20 per cent each. The aerospace composite business is also expected to reduce staff within its corporate support teams by 35 per cent.
Qantas’ low-cost arm has announced a new service from the Sunshine Coast to Cairns, which will operate up to four times per week using A320-200 aircraft starting 3 December. The route is one of 10 that had been operated by Bonza from its former hub until it went into voluntary administration in April.
Hall Chadwick argued in its report to creditors that funding from the Miami-based investment firm, on which Bonza relied to keep operating, was “not sufficient to meet the company’s operational requirements”.
The Flying Kangaroo, which last operated a seasonal service from Sydney to Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan, between December 2019 and March 2020, said it had been assessing plans to restart the route this year, but did not proceed due to labour and other supply shortages at the destination.
BITRE data for May 2024 shows that just 1.1 per cent of Jetstar flights were cancelled last month, lower than Virgin Australia at 2.1 per cent and Qantas and QantasLink at 2.6 per cent, though Rex and regional carrier Hinterland Aviation had the best cancellation rates at 0.8 per cent.
The $480 million, seven-year deal will see four of Team Global Express’ 737-300 and 737-400 aircraft replaced with Texel’s 737-800BCFs under a wet-leasing arrangement, allowing more parcels to be picked up and delivered at regional destinations including Port Hedland, Norfolk Island and Karratha.
The service, announced in November, is the first to connect the two destinations and took off for its maiden flight on 20 June. It will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using A320-200s, adding more than 1,100 seats per week between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Hervey Bay.
The airline will base an extra A320 in Christchurch from December, bringing its total NZ fleet to eight, and launch new routes from Auckland to Sunshine Coast and Christchurch to Cairns, as well as increasing capacity on domestic routes including Christchurch–Auckland and Auckland–Wellington.
Boeing is facing more criticism of its standards after it revealed that its Starliner spacecraft has indefinitely delayed its return to Earth after docking with the International Space Station.
BITRE figures released by the Transport Department on Friday show that the airport’s passenger numbers in March hit 159,000 – 65 per cent larger than the same month in pre-COVID 2019.
The news significantly follows the country’s request to acquire the ADF’s now-scrapped MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet in late December last year, which the Federal Government rejected.
The new Starter Plus, Flex and Flex Plus bundles were developed in response to travel trends and consumer feedback, according to Jetstar, with Flex and Flex Plus, as well as the Business Max bundle, now allowing Qantas Business Rewards customers to earn Qantas points on domestic Jetstar flights.
The Air Force’s premier biennial flying activity for strengthening international engagement, Exercise Pitch Black 24, will involve 20 nations and one multinational element, from 12 July to 2 August.
The three-year agreement would give ATCs an 11.2 per cent pay rise as well as “significant improvements” to current conditions including allowances, and will be sent to staff for a ballot between 28 June and 3 July.
The IGADF appointed an inquiry to rigorously examine the circumstances and cause of deaths regarding the fatal crash of Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter, callsign Bushman 83, late last year. The Taipan fleet was grounded permanently following the incident.
The IASC has awarded the Flying Kangaroo 1,798 seats of capacity per week between Australia and Vanuatu, which Qantas plans to fly with a mixture of its own 737-800s, wet-leased Alliance E190s, and Jetstar’s A321neos, putting it in direct competition with Virgin Australia.
Adam and Jake look at the IASC’s decision to award Jetstar extra seats to Denpasar, and what it means for Bali-bound travellers.
The Australian has reported that Colin Carter, former strategy chief for Boston Consulting Group, has been asked by the board to help determine whether Joyce is eligible for performance-dependent long-term bonuses of around $14 million and short-term bonuses of around $2.2 million.
While it could not disclose the number or the nature of the interested parties, Ernst & Young confirmed it had received non-binding offers for the Vanuatuan flag carrier, which went into voluntary liquidation last month owing at least $99 million.
Strap in for the adventure issue Amy Johnson was one of the world’s most pioneering female aviators. Born into a family of fish merchants, she undertook a series of adventures. But the most famous was flying from London to Darwin in a Gipsy Moth, becoming the first woman to make the trip solo in 1930.
This issue, the RAAF Roulettes fly above the MCG, two US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons perform in in Arizona and Bonza's Malc, shot from above.
Flight VA148 was forced to divert to Invercargill after flames were seen shooting from the engine shortly after takeoff. The airport's assertion does not necessarily rule out a bird strike, and the 737-800, VH-YIV (pictured at Sydney in 2018), remains in Invercargill as of Tuesday.
The trio of Bell 429s will be assigned to the South-East Queensland fleet from 3 July, replacing a pair of older helicopters. Two have already arrived, with the third undergoing final testing before delivery, and will allow increased patrol opportunities across the region.
How Alaska flight dispatchers caught the natural phenomenon when it passed over North America.
Australian Aviation speaks to Marc Puskeiler, a pilot from the German Aerospace Centre, about the unique aircraft sent to analyse the Pacific skies.
The pilot of VH-BAQ sustained minor injuries, and a passenger severe injuries, when the light plane crashed on approach to a grass airstrip at a property near Noosa on 12 November.
Author Cecilia Thornton tells the story of her Australian grandfather – and the fatal journey he took that led to the death of Britain’s airship industry.
Key aircraft movements from around the region. Bonza carnage as planes repossessed overnight, aged Qantas A330 suffers engine failure in Perth, QF A220s in action, and Alliance re-jigs E190 fleet amid delayed deliveries.
In 1930, Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo from the UK to Australia. Nearly 90 years later, Amanda Harrison explains why she attempted to recreate the journey – in her 1942 Tiger Moth.
As the aviation sector embarks on a period of innovation and advancement, the industry’s leading experts will gather at the brand-new event in August.
The passenger service, from Queenstown, was diverted to Invercargill with the airline confirming it is aware of the incident.
Classic aircraft, museum and airshow news. This month, a missing WWII bomber recovered, honouring Australia's first aerial circumnavigation 100 years on, and ANZAC Day flypasts.
Flight JD385 from Hangzhou touched down in Melbourne just after 4:20am on Tuesday, operated by the A330-200 B-1043. Hangzhou is now the eighth mainland Chinese destination with direct service to Melbourne, and joins Beijing Capital Airlines’ existing route to Qingdao.
The NAIF loan to North Queensland Airports (NQA) will allow the first major refurbishment of Cairns’ international terminal in its approximately 30-year history, while Mackay Airport will upgrade its runway, taxiway and apron services and create a mixed retail and commercial precinct.
Flight ID6015 arrived in Canberra just after 6am on Friday, 14 June, on board the 737-800 PK-LDK, and took off for Bali at 9:16am. Batik Air will operate three return flights per week between Canberra and Denpasar, with 162 seats in each direction including 12 business and 150 economy.
The MQ-4C Triton high altitude, long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft system arrived at RAAF Base Tindal in the top end on 16 June after travelling from the US.
This month, Alliance welcomes new E190s, new planes for Jetstar and Virgin, Rex's first leased 737 leaves the register, and a new "Frankenstein" plane prepares for takeoff.
The Australian Financial Review reports that a confidential meeting of creditors last week also heard the jobs of staff are set to be terminated imminently if a purchaser cannot be found.
Despite their growing use in the sector, there are currently no national standards or regulations when it comes to drone cyber security, making them a significant threat vector considering their connectivity.
The 12-seat aircraft, first unveiled in 2015, is designed for various missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement and high-intensive care patient transport.
A new domestic business lounge will be constructed in Adelaide, while the airport’s current Qantas Club and Chairman’s Lounge will be fully refurbished. The overhaul is part of a $100 million investment by Qantas in enhancing its lounges around the world.
Commencing 13 December, the route will operate three times per week using Jetstar’s 787-8 Dreamliner fleet, and is tipped to add 190,000 inbound seats to Queensland over three years. It will be the only non-stop service between the two cities, roughly halving travel time to eight hours.
Starting 14 August, the low-cost carrier will fly three times per week between Cairns and Denpasar, and is expected to add more than 28,000 international seats into Cairns within the first 12 months. Customers will be able to connect through Bali to other destinations in the AirAsia network.
The sold-out maiden flight, VA1681, touched down at Ayers Rock Airport at around 4pm local time on Thursday afternoon on board the 737-800 VH-YIA. Virgin is also commencing Brisbane–Uluru flights this week, with the first to take off on Friday.
The deal, which the ACCC signalled last month that it would allow, will let Virgin place its VA code on trans-Tasman Air New Zealand flights originating and sold in Australia, provided Air New Zealand sets the fares. The consumer watchdog says it believes this will offer passengers more choice.
Last Wednesday (29 May), a 38-year-old man was sentenced by the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney to three years and four months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years, after being identified over two years ago as a potential suspect of theft at Sydney Airport’s cargo facility.
The airline has turned to the Court of Appeal to overturn a NSW Supreme Court finding that the wording in its conditions of carriage, as it relates to the Montreal Convention, meant a cap on damages for personal injury could be excluded.
Neville Howell, Rex’s chief operating officer for the last 10 years, will step into the CEO role for an initial two-year term, while deputy chairman John Sharp has been appointed as non-executive chairman. Lim will remain with Rex as a non-executive director and significant shareholder.
Author Cecilia Thornton speaks to the Australian Aviation Podcast about the disaster that claimed her grandfather’s life and spelled the end of the British airship age.
Speaking at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) AGM in Dubai, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed the ultra-long-haul flights between the east coast and London and New York – set to be the longest in the world – are on track to launch in roughly two years.
The news of VH-UJK's departure is a significant blow to the carrier’s hopes of being able to quickly restart operations if it finds a buyer, given the global lack of larger aircraft post-COVID-19.
The announcement was funded by the company’s $115 million capital raise and will support the company’s $500 million sales pipeline.
The twice-weekly return service to Hanoi will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, departing Melbourne at 0730 and touching down in Hanoi at 1440 on the same day.
The new Wingman 1-to-1 model concept model will be put on static display at the International Aerospace Exhibition from 5–9 June.
Having been granted an exemption, the firm restricted employment for current and previous citizens or permanent residents of countries other than Australia and the US.
Under the newly announced changes, eligible New Zealanders living in Australia can apply to join the ADF from July this year, while eligible permanent residents from the other nations will also be able to apply from January 2025.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has rowed back on his claim that immigration detainees were being tracked by drones.
Starting 9 July, Virgin will fly every day between Brisbane and Port Vila except Thursdays, with two return services on Saturdays. The airline has seen strong demand for Brisbane–Port Vila flights since increasing frequency from two to five per week following the collapse of Air Vanuatu.
The upgrades are expected to allow greater training opportunities to conduct enhanced land and air operations between Australia and the United States militaries at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the NT.
This is the first time group boarding has been used by an Australian domestic carrier, and follows a “series of successful trials” in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, which Qantas says demonstrated a positive effect on on-time performance.
Developed after consultation with both community and industry over the past year, the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane is open for community feedback until 14 July, with community engagement sessions to be held in Brisbane from 4–18 June.
The aircraft will take part for the first time in the annual military exercise between the five nations in the Five Power Defence Arrangements, according to comments made by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.
The investment firm had entered into a period of exclusivity to purchase the club that has now ended, despite 777 reportedly loaning the club £200 million last season.
The Flight Attendants' Association of Australia (FAAA) is urging CASA to implement mandatory flight time and rest regulations for cabin crew to improve passenger safety and receive “equal treatment” with pilots, for whom regulations were introduced five years ago.
Ernst & Young Australia (EY Australia) said it is looking to “right-size the company’s cost base” as it proceeds with an expressions of interest campaign. The liquidator is currently in discussions to resume “critical routes” in the short term to minimise disruption.
The shadow home affairs minister has said he was "startled" by Senator Andrew Giles’ admission that released immigration detainees are being monitored by drones.
Perth Airport will embark on a $5 billion capital investment program, including $3 billion on the new Qantas terminal at Airport Central, with the remainder to go towards two new multi-storey carparks, major access roadworks, and Perth’s first airport hotel.
Danielle Wilson, the widow of Netflix star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson, was set to meet with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), celebrity crocodile wrangler Matthew Wright and his company Helibrook for mediation talks over the crash that claimed Wilson’s life.
43 passengers and crew were injured and an elderly British passenger suffered a fatal heart attack when the flight from London to Singapore hit severe turbulence last week, forcing it to divert to Bangkok. 56 Australians were on board, at least eight of whom were hospitalised.
The fifth annual Aus Space 24 Australian Space Awards was held on Tuesday, 28 May at The Star in Sydney in the presence of 400 members of the space industry.
In a trading update posted to the ASX, Alliance predicted pre-tax profits exceeding the consensus forecast of $83.9 million, with full-year results to be released after the close of trade on 14 August.
On location at the 2024 Australian Space Summit, Adam and Jake discuss Bonza’s two-month lifeline and the impact of a continued stand-down on its workers.
In a survey of 600 passengers carried out at the domestic terminal, 76 per cent said development was necessary, with 81 per cent believing the airport should be “future-proofed” against weather events. Construction on the five-year upgrade program is reportedly well underway.
The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, Marine Corps version, struck the ground near a highway and caught fire close to Albuquerque International Airport, New Mexico on Wednesday, 28 May.
In the hypothetical world where the August 2020 sackings never occurred, Qantas has argued there would have been “another window” to legally stand down the 1700 ground handlers in late 2021 and terminate their employment by February and March 2022.
An exploration of strict liability for airline incidents is pertinent following the extraordinary circumstances of a recent Singapore Airlines flight, John Connellan writes.
The International Air Services Commission (IASC) has greenlit the airline’s expansion of its Vanuatu services, which will allow it to operate an extra seven flights per week using its 737 fleet and go from 176 to 182 seats on its reconfigured planes.
Carter Capner Law said it is currently investigating if the weather or human error is to blame for turbulence on board Singapore Airlines Flight 321 which left one dead and 43 passengers and crew injured.
Australia will provide an initial $2.5 million in humanitarian assistance to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the landslide in Enga Province, according to a statement published on 27 May.
A two-part report from global agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank predicts that the transition to SAF, which is commonly made from agricultural products and byproducts, will be the largest contribution to cutting aviation emissions over the next 10 years.
More than $1.8 billion of locally-made produce was flown internationally from Melbourne in the first three months of 2024, with 44,700 tonnes of local cargo exported, translating to 40.2 per cent of Australia’s total volume of export air freight.
In the Federal Court on Monday, Hall Chadwick argued that while around 300 employees remain in a “period of uncertainty” as they are stood down without pay and cannot claim certain benefits until the company is wound up, they and other creditors would be better off if the airline is sold.
The non-stop flights, beginning 28 November, will use China Southern’s 276-seater 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and are expected to bring 86,000 seats and 5,000 tonnes of cargo capacity into the Perth market.
The flights, which will operate on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays starting 28 June, will be ticketed as a Rex service, making Perth–Adelaide the airline’s 12th domestic jet route. The service will commence on the same day as Rex’s new Perth–Melbourne route, which will use 737-800s.
The regular JQ471 service on Saturday, 25 May, operated by the A320-200 VH-VFQ, had several of the pilots, cabin crew and customers on board from the maiden flight on the same day in 2004, with the crew also wearing Jetstar’s new uniform designed to mark the carrier’s 20th anniversary.
The increased demand will be a boon to the Queensland airport, which has seen a dramatic collapse in its network since the carrier entered administration a month ago.
The survey, which comes amid negotiations on a new enterprise agreement, saw responses from 180 of Virgin’s 1,100 pilots and claimed nearly half would be likely to quit if a proposal to cut rostered days off by six per year goes through, while 93 per cent would vote against the proposed EA.
Hall Chadwick has filed documents with the Federal Court asking to continue as administrator for Bonza until at least 29 July, with a second creditors’ meeting to be held prior to 5 August. The move comes as Bonza’s parent company 777 Partners indicates interest in restructuring the airline.
The service, operating five days per week from 28 June, will use Rex’s 737-800 fleet, adding around 90,000 seats to the city pair per year. It will be Rex’s eleventh domestic jet route, with other destinations including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and the Gold Coast.
VH-RSB hit the ground and caught fire after flying into a powerline near Merriton on 8 October, killing both the pilot and the single passenger on board and injuring rescuers. In its final report, the ATSB said the powerline was in the way of aircraft landing on the property’s grass runway.
The Flying Kangaroo has applied for 1,798 seats per week in each direction for five years, with plans to start Qantas services in August and Jetstar services in October. The move will put Qantas in competition with Virgin Australia, currently the only airline operating Australia–Vanuatu flights.
The project, to be carried out by principal contractor BESIX Watpac, will modernise the tower’s infrastructure, with Airservices estimating it will add an extra two decades to the structure’s lifespan. Construction will continue in stages through next year.
The deal will give Skyportz subsidiary Wilbur Air, which will use the Skyportz vertiport network, access to small cargo helicopters that will fly freight between businesses on fixed routes with flight plans rather than autonomously selecting their own routes.
Two repatriation flights assisted by the Australian Government brought 108 Australians and other tourists from Noumea to Brisbane on Tuesday, said Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Civil unrest is continuing in New Caledonia as pro-independence protesters clash with French security forces.
As Virgin Australia ends Qantas’ 19-month streak as the country’s most reliable airline group, Adam, Jake and Ben look at the latest on-time performance figures and examine whether the era of domestic aviation havoc is finally over.
Toowoomba City Aerodrome (TWB), which was supplanted by Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport (WTB) for regular passenger flights in 2015, is currently under financial review by Toowoomba Regional Council, which owns and operates the airport. The review is expected to wrap up by next month.
Bombardier, a Canadian company founded in 1942, employs more than 18,000 people globally and has an in-service fleet of more than 5,000 aircraft. Recognising the company’s expanding Australian footprint, the new office will be dedicated to Bombardier Defense customers.
The incident on Tuesday night saw flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, which was being operated by 9V-SWM (similar aircraft pictured), forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, including 56 Australians. Dozens of injuries and one death were reported.
Official BITRE data for April 2024 showed Virgin climbing above the Flying Kangaroo in on-time departures, on-time arrivals, and cancellations, ending a 19-month run of lagging Qantas in some or all of these measures. Virgin also matched or beat the long-term average in all three areas.
The Minister for Defence confirmed the federal government has been tracking riots in the French territory as pro-independence activists fight against more than 1,000 French police and paramilitary personnel deployed under a major security operation to the Pacific archipelago east of Australia.
The stricken low-cost carrier had “played a key role in connecting regional hubs across the domestic network”, the competition watchdog noted in its latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report, as it tried to stimulate demand on routes not served by other airlines.
In its latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report, the ACCC found 4.9 million domestic passengers flew with Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Rex and Bonza in March 2024, representing 98.8 per cent of March 2019 levels, with seat capacity also barely below pre-pandemic figures at 6.2 million.
Starting today (Tuesday), passengers on Qantas flights to Singapore are able to connect seamlessly to IndiGo services into Delhi and Mumbai. The move follows IndiGo being allowed to place its code on Qantas flights from Singapore to Australia last year.
ASLA, formerly Pionair, is based at Bankstown Airport and offers passenger and cargo charter and wet-leasing services across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The new freighter, VH-CYK, is its first B737-800BCF, with the airline primarily operating the BAe146.
The Flying Kangaroo now says the disruption later caused by the Delta strain of COVID would have meant it would have had no choice but to let 1700 ground handlers go anyway, after they were made redundant earlier in the pandemic.
It comes after reports revealed taxpayers will pay $450m for the two new Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) because the cost of leasing replacements for 12 years rose from $372m to $550m, making an outright purchase more affordable.
VH-UJT, better known as ‘Shazza’, took off from the Sunshine Coast at 7:58am and landed in Port Hedland at 10:33am, and is now due to fly to Kuala Lumpur.
Tony Brun, who has served as Avalon’s CEO since the exit of Justin Giddings in October 2022, announced that he was stepping down from his role at Melbourne’s secondary airport to take up “a new Chief Executive opportunity in Saudi Arabia”.
The 767 was retired from passenger duty in 2014 but the Flying Kangaroo kept one to fly freight services. It comes as the airline begins its biggest overhaul of its domestic, international and cargo aircraft in a generation.
In this crossover podcast with Australian Aviation’s sister podcast brand The Adviser, Richard Garner discusses his love of flying – and how he juggles so many different jobs.
Tony Brun told Australian Aviation Bonza was down to five Avalon services per week on two routes – Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast – when it went into voluntary administration late last month, and that Jetstar’s upcoming Brisbane service is going to bring more total passengers than “all of Bonza”.
The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), Airbus, and zero-emissions aircraft firm AMSL Aero have all backed the sustainability funding, which aims to promote domestic production of SAF and other green fuels like renewable hydrogen.
The event, running from 16 to 18 August, will include displays from the RAAF’s 100 Heritage Squadron, United States Marine Corps MV-22s, Matt Hall and Emma McDonald, Gold Coast Skydive, Air Force Roulettes, Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter, and the United States Navy Leap Frogs.
According to data from YouGov’s BrandIndex survey, most Australians have heard of the suspension of Bonza services, with perceptions of the embattled airline taking a sharp nosedive after it abruptly suspended all flights at the end of April.
The Australian Defence Industry Awards program, now in its sixth year, is being run with support from principal partner KBR. After much deliberation, the judging panel has chosen a total of 212 finalists to compete across 10 individual and 18 group submissions-based categories.
Current assets, including cash on hand and inventory, have not been factored into the calculations as Air Vanuatu’s available financial information is “significantly out of date,” according to liquidator Ernst & Young.
The government will pour $302.6 million over five years, as well as $53.5 million per year ongoing, into Western Sydney Airport, plus $102 million into upgrading regional airports and remote airstrips and $7.5 million into aviation safety measures.
Col. Brian T. Mulvihill, the commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 24.3, said he backed the tilt-rotor aircraft, which was grounded for three months after being involved in two fatal incidents last year.
On average, Bonza’s 186-seat 737 MAX 8s were seeing more than 130 customers per flight at its Sunshine Coast, Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Gold Coast bases since commencing services in January last year, a source with knowledge of the situation told Australian Aviation.
Flights will not resume before 29 May, administrator Hall Chadwick said, and staff will remain stood down until that time as talks continue with “interested parties” who could potentially save the embattled airline. Expressions of interest are open until Thursday.
James Goodwin, chief executive of the Australian Airports Association (AAA), told Australian Aviation the association understands Bonza owes “at least $10 million in unpaid aeronautical and terminal charges”.
According to ATSB director of transport safety Dr Stuart Godley, while both pilots had made the required mandatory calls on the local common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the Cherokee’s pilot had mistakenly called Mildura’s runway 36 “runway 35”.
The airline will operate four return A330-200 services per week starting 28 October, bringing an estimated 170,000 additional inbound seats to Queensland over three years. It will mark the first time Qantas has flown between Brisbane and Manila in more than a decade.
The Flying Kangaroo will end its Sydney–Shanghai route, which operates five times per week using its A330-300 fleet, from 28 July citing low demand. China Eastern Airlines is currently the only other carrier that flies between Sydney and Shanghai.
Everybody on board, including two passengers in their 60s, seemingly escaped without injuries after an incident with the landing gear was identified shortly after take-off at 8:30am.
A spokesperson for Virgin confirmed to Australian Aviation that the carrier will fly five times per week from Brisbane to Port Vila, up from twice per week, for the remainder of May and June at the request of the Australian government. Virgin is the only other airline to fly from Australia to Vanuatu.
Coal miner Glencore and gold miner Newmont have signed on for contract extensions of three and five years respectively for Alliance’s FIFO operations, which serve Glencore’s mine at Emerald, Queensland, and Newmont’s mine at Tanami in the Northern Territory.
The news comes after the airline’s administrator earlier last week admitted to the federal court it was “not in a position” to prevent its leased aircraft from leaving Australia.
At a creditors meeting on Friday, administrator Hall Chadwick said there are half a dozen “very interested parties” looking at Bonza, raising hopes the carrier could continue with new investment.
In a statement released on Friday morning, liquidator Ernst & Young said stranded passengers would be “informed of this disruption” and booked on flights when operations resume. The existing management team will also remain in place.
The multi-million-dollar investment includes refurbishments to the RAAF Base Tindal Fire Station, a community building, and security alarm upgrades.
A station could be built on existing land that was planned to house it in the 1980s, said Avalon CEO Tony Brun, who added that the airport already owns the necessary land and is willing to chip in money to support the project. According to Brun, a rail link would be “transformative” for the airport.
Airstrips in remote communities across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and NSW will be given grants of $5,000 to $3 million to upgrade their facilities by 2026 as part of the government’s Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program.
In a statement, Vanuatu’s flag carrier said the country’s government is considering putting the airline into voluntary administration, with Ernst & Young called in to offer advice. Air Vanuatu codeshares with Qantas on services between the island nation and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Training with all parachutes, except the Military Javelin Parachute System – the parachute type used during the March training incident – has resumed as of 7 May.
A model aircraft store has told Australian Aviation it has seen a surge in demand since the stricken airline called in administrators last week, with a significant portion of sales from the carrier’s base on the Sunshine Coast.
With a big question mark over the future of its planes, and all eyes turning to its parent company 777 Partners, who is to blame for Bonza’s predicament?
Inbound Australian travel to New Zealand is at 83 per cent of pre-pandemic, compared to the overall average of 80 per cent, according to figures cited by Auckland Airport; however, this is well below countries such as the US, UK and India, which are above pre-pandemic levels.
HRM Contracting and Consulting, the largest local recruitment and employment firm on the Sunshine Coast, will provide free assistance to Bonza employees looking to find temporary work, while the Flight Attendants' Association of Australia (FAAA) has set up an online fundraiser.
The spat follows details released by Defence that a Chinese J-10 fighter jet dropped flares just 300 metres in front of a RAN Seahawk on Saturday, forcing the crew to rapidly take evasive action.
By law, if a flight in New Zealand is cancelled or delayed for reasons within the airline’s control, passengers may have a right to a remedy, including refund or compensation. According to a statement from Jetstar, its ability to provide these remedies was disrupted by pandemic issues.
Another 43 A380s and 28 777s will be fitted with the new cabins, including premium economy seats. Sydney’s EK412/413 and EK414/415 services, and Melbourne’s EK408/409 and EK406/407 services, will both use aircraft with the new premium economy cabins when the retrofit is complete.
In his 2024–25 budget overview released on Tuesday, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said that the state government has a “huge amount of funding” tied up with the rail link project, and needs to be “realistic about the project and its timeline”.
The airline, which entered voluntary administration after its fleet was abruptly seized last Tuesday, will not fly again until at least Wednesday 15 May, with its administrator saying the aircraft’s lessors are looking to move the fleet overseas and admitting in court on Tuesday they cannot prevent this.
Counsel James Hutton SC, acting for administrator Hall Chadwick, also said there is “still a degree of uncertainty” as to whether the carrier can meet existing contractual obligations and added it had “not had time to fully investigate” the termination of Bonza's leases.
The J-10 fighter jet dropped flares just 300 metres in front of a RAN Seahawk on Saturday, forcing the crew to rapidly take evasive action. The incident took place over international waters in the Yellow Sea.
The new terminal, which will cost NZ$2.2 billion for the terminal itself and $1.7 billion in additional integration costs, will include 12 jet aircraft gates to create 26 per cent more seat capacity, as well as two baggage claims and a connection with the existing international terminal.
The Qantas data breach, which occurred last Wednesday, 1 May, saw some customers using the airline’s app surprised to see the booking details of other customers, alongside the ability to change seats, cancel flights, and even book new flights.
The project, supported by $60 million in federal government funding, will enable Hobart to handle international flights using wide-body aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350. Currently, Tasmania is the only Australian state or territory without a strong enough runway for these services.
A source with knowledge of the situation said it was never Bonza’s job to pay the leases on its fleet of 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which have sat grounded since Tuesday after being repossessed by the lessor, AIP Capital.
The addition of Palau, which is part of Micronesia and lies north of Papua New Guinea and east of the Philippines, gives Brisbane the highest number of Pacific connections out of any Australian airport, with a total of 14.
Despite the penalty, the Flying Kangaroo said the ACCC is no longer proceeding with claims the airline received payment for flights it had no intention of providing – essentially removing the suggestion it deliberately misled consumers.
Staff are unable to claim their salary from the government immediately because the company is continuing to search for new investment, and also risk losing money if they formally resign.
The launch of German manufacturer HyImpulse’s SR75 rocket is a hugely significant moment for Australia’s space sector and paves the way for future blast offs from the site in Ceduna, SA.
A new statement from administrator Hall Chadwick reveals the airline's directors were only told they were losing control of their 737 MAXs the day before the repossessions occurred.
777 Partners, which is believed to have held around 24 per cent of Flair, has seen its stake reduced to almost nothing, according to sources cited in the Australian Financial Review. The Miami-based venture capital firm is also a part owner of Bonza, which entered voluntary administration this week.
Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Bradley Davren, CEO of AVCRO, which has provided MRO services to Bonza since the airline’s inception, said that the stricken low-cost carrier was a viable business before entering voluntary administration on Tuesday afternoon due to a lack of aircraft.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, administrator Hall Chadwick said Bonza’s four 737 MAX 8s, which were seized early Tuesday morning in a move that reportedly blindsided the airline, will remain on the tarmac until next week at the earliest.
Darwin City Council, which is embroiled in a dispute with the airport over what it says is more than $1 million owed in rate equivalent payments, said that despite DIA owner Airport Development Group’s (ADG) assertion earlier this week, no such offer has yet been forthcoming.
Kristyn E. Jones is one of the most senior figures involved in the US Space Force and oversees the entire US Air Force’s annual budget of more than $205 billion.
In its latest Airport Monitoring Report released this week, the ACCC found that Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports all returned to profit in the 2022-23 financial year, with boosts to aeronautical revenues as well as income from car parking and landside access.
With reports that its entire fleet had been repossessed in the dead of night, emergency talks about the ongoing viability of the business ended in Bonza entering voluntary administration – so what went wrong?
Jason Harfield, who has been with Airservices for 35 years, has reached the end of his contract and will leave on 8 June, with chief strategy and customer experience officer Peter Curran to serve as interim CEO while the air traffic control body undertakes a global search for his replacement.
The competition watchdog is seeking submissions on its draft determination, which would allow Virgin to sell an unlimited number of tickets under its code on Air New Zealand flights sold and originating in Australia, up to available capacity, provided that Air New Zealand sets the fares.
In a statement to NT News last week, a council spokesperson said that the airport is “required to make a financial contribution to the city in lieu of rates on land which is subleased to tenants, or land on which trading or operations are undertaken”.
Several Qantas customers have reported being able to access other customer’s account information, point score, status tier, travel destination and even boarding passes. In addition, customers could reportedly change other people’s seats, cancel their flight altogether or book an entire new flight under their name.
The new squadron provides mission data programming and software development for the Australian and United Kingdom F-35 aircraft types, as a component of the Australia, Canada and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory.
The Times reports that the Miami-based venture capital firm injected £16 million into the football club on Tuesday, UK time, while Bonza’s four 737 MAX 8 aircraft were repossessed at around 3am AEST on Tuesday, leaving passengers stranded. The airline was later placed into voluntary administration.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Jetstar said it had set up a “dedicated page” on its website for Bonza staff affected by the news.
Speaking to radio station 3AW, the Transport Minister also said she believed the airline itself was unaware of the truth of reports that a financial consultancy was quietly appointed to look over the airline’s accounts.
The dramatic development comes hours after the airline suspended all of its flights and weeks after a rash of speculation about the future of the airline.
The rival airline on Tuesday also reiterated its pledge to help stranded passengers get home and offered to assist Bonza staff members affected by news of its voluntary administration.
Speaking to media, the minister advised stranded Bonza customers to contact her office on 1800 069 244, with the hotline expected to be operational until 10pm on Tuesday night. Qantas, Virgin and Rex have all offered assistance to affected passengers.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia advised Bonza customers who were due to travel on Tuesday to contact them to book these seats. The news comes after Bonza suspended all flights for the day due to discussions about the low-cost carrier’s viability.
Pointing to “stranded passengers and jobs on the line”, the union says it is looking to make sure Bonza’s workers are looked after as the carrier suspends flights while discussions occur over the viability of the business, and has reiterated its calls for more regulation of the aviation sector.
Avia Solutions Group (ASG), which purchased Skytrans in March, intends to fly mainly A319 jets under wet lease using Skytrans’ AOC with room for A320s and A321s depending on demand, alongside maintaining the existing regional turboprop network for regular passenger transport.
In a brief statement, CEO Tim Jordan said the suspension is temporary as talks are underway.
South African Airways flight SA280 touched down in Perth shortly before 1pm local time on Monday aboard the A340-300 ZS-SXF. The route will initially operate three times per week using 253-seater A340-300 aircraft, with Perth Airport hoping for an eventual daily service.
The “We Fly Jetstar” ad, featuring an updated jingle, was created following a March “casting call” to remake the classic campaign that starred comedian Magda Szubanski and is based on real customer stories from passengers who had flown with the low-cost carrier over the past two decades.
The Agusta A109, VH-RUA, was landing on bulk carrier Tai Keystone on 6 December 2023 when the pilot heard a “shredding noise” and an increase in engine pitch before conducting an emergency shutdown. In its final report, the ATSB said the tail rotor hit a handrail unseen by the pilot.
In a statement to the ASX, Alliance said it had expected to settle purchases of 17 more E190s from Dublin-based AerCap Ireland Limited over the course of this year, at a cost of between $182 million and $204 million, as part of its plan to acquire 30 more E-Jets between 2023 and 2026.
As part of the annual RSAF training, a Singaporean C-130H Hercules transport aircraft and approximately 140 Singaporean personnel are undertaking flying activity including airdrop and parachute operations over western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and regional NSW.
The delivery delays come as Boeing continues to face scrutiny over the safety of the 737 MAX family following the mid-air blowout of a door plug on board an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in January.
The project, which received $9 million in funding divided between state and federal governments and $3 million from the City of Greater Bendigo, features a terminal four times larger than the old building, a 183-space car park, and an apron capable of accommodating two 70-seat aircraft.
Australia will be the 18th nation to operate the Apache as its attack helicopter, joining a fleet of more than 1,280 operating worldwide.
The planemaker has attributed the sea of red ink to a fall in 737 deliveries, as well as the grounding of the 737 MAX 9 after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines plane at the start of the year. Boeing was barred by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from ramping up MAX production.
Here, Australian Aviation lists every flypast in every state, including times and exact locations. Aircraft in the skies include the F-35, Hercules and Super Hornet alongside warbirds such as the A-37 Dragonfly and CAC Winjeel.
Following a recent scientific mission in a heavily-modified Gulfstream G550 (pictured), German pilot Marc Puskeiler talks to the Australian Aviation podcast about measuring the atmosphere and what it was like to fly this unique aircraft.
Adam, Jake and Ben discuss Bonza’s forceful rebuttal to reports suggesting consultant KordaMentha had been called in to advise the airline.
In its final report into the incident on 24 October 2022, the transport safety watchdog said the crew of VH-VEQ, which was operating a scheduled flight from Canberra, was given “erroneous on-slope indications, without any failure indication” as it approached runway 34L on a cloudy night.
Despite media reports of smoke in the flight deck of VH-UJK “Sheila” (pictured) as it operated flight AB570 from Avalon on Tuesday, a Bonza spokesperson has told Australian Aviation that the two pilots only reported an unusual odour and were unharmed.
AIR6500 will deliver four advanced air-defence radars, manufactured by Canberra-based CEA Technologies, with the first delivery expected later this year.
Both Bonza and Jetstar were ahead of all other major airlines for on-time arrivals in the official BITRE data for last month. Bonza led the pack, while Jetstar saw its lowest cancellation rate in more than five years and beat both Qantas and Virgin services in on-time departures.
The sixth-generation bomber is currently undertaking engine testing in California that has been described as an “essential milestone” on the path to an eventual first flight.
The apprentices, who have graduated from Aviation Australia’s (AA) 80-day Certificate II in Aircraft Line Maintenance, will join BDA’s F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler maintenance program at RAAF Base Amberley.
The Full Court of the High Court of Australia unanimously dismissed Qantas’s final appeal, upholding the Federal Court’s original decision that the airline had breached the Fair Work Act 2009.
In a statement, the Flying Kangaroo apologised for the personal impact of the sackings and accepted the High Court’s verdict, but maintained that the “restructuring” of its business was necessary for its survival.
The Flying Kangaroo’s appeal was unanimously dismissed by the High Court on Wednesday, prompting the union to call for a spill of the Board, including Chairman Richard Goyder, to be replaced by new directors including a workers’ representative.
The Flying Kangaroo had argued against a 2021 ruling by the Full Federal Court that it had illegally sacked 1,683 workers in 2020–21. That decision was then subsequently upheld in an appeal last year.
In this special Premium Podcast, Matthew Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism, tells Jake Nelson how Uluru’s massive new drone show came to be and how it is honouring the local Anangu Country and culture.
Qantas’s last-ditch bid follows a 2021 ruling that it had illegally sacked 1,683 workers in 2020–21 to head off industrial action, which was upheld last year by the Full Federal Court. The airline has argued that the workers did not have the right to take protected industrial action (PIA) at the time.
The government is seeking submissions on consumer issues following last week’s release of the Aviation Green Paper, which noted rising complaints about the aviation sector as well as barriers to travel for passengers with disabilities.
Emirates’ move to swap 777s for larger A380s on its existing Sydney routes rather than ask for extra services appears to directly back Transport Minister Catherine King's justification for denying Qatar more flights.
Anthony Albanese strongly denied his government was too cosy with Qantas and its former CEO during a fiery Question Time debate on Monday.
The incident, which occurred last week in Arthur’s Pass National Park northwest of Christchurch, is believed to be the first time Apple’s innovative new feature has been successfully used in the ANZ region.
The report makes no findings about the crash at Caboolture Airfield in Queensland on 28 July, but establishes the sequence of events that led to the accident which killed the Jabiru’s pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan Maddern.
News Corp papers reported last week that Qantas frequent flyer points have dropped in value over the past 30 years, saying the same amount of points that would have bought a first-class return seat to London in 1996 will now buy a coffee machine.
State Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti has reiterated calls for the Flying Kangaroo to shift all operations to the Airport Central precinct, which handles all international flights other than Qantas. The national carrier currently uses Terminal 3 for international services, 20 minutes away by car or bus.
Transport Minister Catherine King gave the green light for the plan for one of Melbourne’s busiest general aviation airports, which covers areas such as land use, environmental and noise management, and upcoming developments.
Materials made in the furnace will be used by companies such as Hypersonix Launch Systems, which has previously said it wants to one day take humans to space “like you fly with Qantas”.
The in-cockpit footage was taken from a display at the Gold Coast Pacific Airshow last month and has already clocked up more than more than 300,000 views.
In total, six of the aircraft type will take part in Exercise Bushido Guardian 23 at Komatsu Air Base, halfway between Kanazawa and Fukui City, in the country’s centre.
Unions have pointed to a 2022 Australian National Audit Office report, which showed CASA’s surveillance activities declining by 31 per cent between 2017–18 and 2020–21, saying there is a “mismatch” between CASA staffing and anticipated surveillance levels.
Transport Minister Catherine King has blamed the lack of action around Sydney take-off slots on the previous Coalition government and confirmed more news will come before the release of the White Paper.
The Green Paper, weighing in at more than 200 pages, covers areas including the transition to net zero, consumer protections, competition, and aviation affordability. It is open for comment until 30 November.
The Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management Bill 2023 would introduce an hourly cap on flights, while non-emergency flights would be subjected to a late-night curfew. More flights would be routed over the water rather than the city where possible.
The incident involved 13 Australian women aboard Qatar Airways flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney who were asked to leave the plane to be escorted to ambulances for the invasive check.
Minister Wong’s office confirmed she had discussed the incident, in which 13 Australian women were forced to remove their underwear for invasive genital exams, in a phone call with Qatar’s PM and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Monday.
Adam, Jake and Chris reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the Qantas CEO’s time in charge.
The five former employees, who are suing the airline over its COVID-19 vaccination policy, told the Federal Court they have been left without legal representation after their previous firm’s alleged misconduct, including negligence and a failure to take instructions.
Captain Richard de Crespigny – who famously landed an A380 in Singapore after one engine exploded – said staff are relieved at the early exit of CEO Alan Joyce.
Critics have argued the decision will both reduce the number of seats for sale into Australia, and hinder competition that could bring prices down.
Richard Goyder, who has served as Qantas chair since 2018, told The Australian he is “fully committed” to continuing on and overseeing the transition to new CEO Vanessa Hudson, who was originally to take up the position following November’s AGM.
Here, Adam and Jake discuss the fallout from the big announcement and what it means for the Flying Kangaroo.
The TWU and Australian Services Union have both indicated they want to see a line drawn under Joyce’s tenure with the appointment of new CEO Vanessa Hudson, who will take the reins on Wednesday after Joyce moved his planned exit date forward by two months.
In a scathing statement, Senator Sheldon, a long-time foe of outgoing CEO Alan Joyce, said the Qantas board “cannot hide behind Joyce’s resignation” and that chair Richard Goyder’s head should be the next on the chopping block.
AIPA president Captain Tony Lucas said there is “much work to be done” but added his members “trust that Ms Hudson recognises the power of respecting and valuing all Qantas staff”.
CEO Alan Joyce, who has led Qantas since 2008, was originally to leave the role at the airline’s AGM in November, but will now hand over the reins to CFO Vanessa Hudson as of Wednesday 6 September. Qantas’ current Executive of Strategy, People and Technology, Rob Marcolina, will take over as CFO.
In an interview with ABC Radio National, deputy chairman John Sharp also questioned whether outgoing CEO Alan Joyce deserved his potential $24 million final pay packet.
The flypast, which also included a Globemaster, marked the opening of the annual Riverfire display, which itself heralded the start of the three-week Brisbane Festival.
In a new statement, the Flying Kangaroo hinted it’s unable to explain its defence to the ACCC allegations in more detail due to the legal process.
Starting 7 December, the Vietnamese national carrier will fly return three times per week from Perth to Ho Chi Minh City on a 274-seat 787 Dreamliner, adding more than 85,000 seats and nearly 6,000 tonnes of cargo capacity per year between WA and Vietnam.
Flight LA805 from Santiago touched down at 5:20am on Saturday on board the 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGT (pictured at Melbourne). LATAM will operate three flights per week between Melbourne and Santiago, and is the 36th international carrier to restart flights to Victoria since borders reopened.
Queensland's Acting Premier Steven Miles added his government would like to see “as many flights as possible” because passengers arriving in his state would create “jobs and prosperity”.
Young autistic pilot Hayden McDonald spoke to Jake Nelson ahead of an epic two-month journey around Australia.
Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb argued there should be a “record penalty” to deter similar conduct in future from other airlines.
The route is the third new service launched in the last three months and comes after the airline first launched 737 flights in March 2021 after securing $150 million in investment.
A total of 23 individuals and organisations received 26 awards at the second annual gala dinner, held at The Star, Sydney last night.
The KC-30A multi-role tanker transport refuelled seven F-16 Fighting Falcons during 60 flying sorties within Indonesian airspace from 6 to 12 August.
Under the US-led exercise, the civil engineering team from the RAAF is working with partners from the United States, the Mongolian Armed Forces, and civilian agencies to restore a local hospital.
According to “multiple aviation sources” cited by The Sydney Morning Herald, customers who hold credits for flights up to October 2021 that were cancelled due to lockdowns will be able to claim a refund with no time limit.
The panel, which comprises Antarctic and aviation experts, will help Rex in its response to the Request For Tender (RFT) the AAD is expected to release in November.
The consumer watchdog alleges that the Flying Kangaroo engaged in “false, misleading or deceptive conduct” by selling tickets on its website to more than 8,000 flights departing between May and July 2022 for up to 47 days after those flights had been cancelled.
The news was quietly included in its investor briefing on Wednesday, with the airline planning a formal launch by the end of September.
Adam, Chris and Jake discuss a final flourish from the Flying Kangaroo’s maestro, Alan Joyce.
The $31.7 million loss is still a dramatic improvement from Rex’s $109 million loss in the 2022 financial year, and it has reported a statutory profit of $14.4 million thanks to a “positive fair value contribution” of $44.5 million from its September acquisition of FIFO operator National Jet Express (NJE).
In a doorstop interview, the Prime Minister implied he would not be reviewing the decision not to expand Qatar’s air rights, and echoed comments made by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce at a Senate committee hearing that Qatar did not require more frequency to increase capacity.
V-BAT, made by US-based company Shield AI, is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS that its manufacturer says can meet “a broad array of civil and defence mission requirements” through its capacity for multi-mission payload sets.
Under questioning from the Senate Select Committee on Cost of Living on Monday, Joyce effectively said the national carrier is triaging services due to circumstances outside its control and that it is better to concentrate cancellations on high-frequency routes than to spread the pain out.
The plane will be the second deployed to support NJE’s new Queensland services under its long-term contract with mining giant BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), which started on 1 July. Slated to enter service in October, it will operate between Brisbane and the town of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin.
Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully admitted that the airline still has a substantial amount of unused flight credit over and above the approximately $370 million in credit Qantas holds for its own flights.
The four Striker Volterra 6×6 vehicles are set to arrive in 2025 ahead of the airport opening in 2026, and were selected for what Airservices Australia – which operates Australia’s national Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) service – bills as their advanced safety and eco-friendly capabilities.
The aerospace prime said winning the ‘AIR6500 Phase 1’ deal would generate 230 jobs in South Australia, Brisbane, Canberra and the NSW Hunter region.
The Assistant Treasurer, in comments to The Australian Financial Review, maintained the federal government’s line that knocking back Qatar’s request for additional air rights was “in the national interest”, and added that Qantas’s massive $2.5bn annual profit was “a good news story”.
TAE Aerospace will upgrade the test system for the F414 engines including control and data acquisition system (CDAS) software and hardware, which is reaching the end of its supportable life.
The Federal Court dismissed an application brought by Sara Rossi, who claimed she did not have the mental capacity in 2008 to enter into a deed that would bring an end to a claim for compensation.
The first OD195 service from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland via Perth landed in Auckland last week aboard a Batik Air 737 MAX 8 and returned to Kuala Lumpur via Perth as OD196. The service will operate six times per week.
As of Monday, baggage tracking is now available on select Virgin flights departing most airports on the eastern seaboard, as well as Launceston, Hobart and Adelaide. Perth flights are expected to have baggage tracking available soon.
The distinctive tilt-rotor aircraft, which had 23 on board, was taking part in Exercise Predators Run during the incident on Melville Island, 60km off the coast from Darwin.
The Kiwi flag carrier attributed the profits to “demand for air travel that exceeded expectations”, with domestic capacity at 94 per cent of pre-COVID levels, its international network restored, and all its aircraft now flying again. The airline saw an operating revenue of $6.3 billion NZD for the year.
Speaking to the House Standing Committee on Economics’ inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation, AAA CEO James Goodwin noted that Qantas and Jetstar together have a 66 per cent share of the domestic market, with Virgin at 29 per cent.
This week, both Qantas and Virgin weighed in on Qatar being blocked from adding more flights to Australia’s major airports. But does anyone really have Aussie travellers’ best interests at heart?
In a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics’ inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation, the airport urged the Government to lift the current 80-20 “use it or lose it” rule to 95-5.
The service, to launch on 21 November, is Bonza’s first outside the eastern seaboard, and will connect it to its fourth state after Queensland, NSW and Victoria. With 11 other routes planned from its new Gold Coast base, Bonza will operate 34 concurrent routes to 18 destinations.
It comes after the Flying Kangaroo on Thursday confirmed a huge order for 12 new 787 Dreamliners and 12 Airbus A350s to replace the bulk of its ageing widebody fleet.
The huge new deal will see next generation Boeing and Airbus aircraft replace its ageing fleet of A330s.
The widely expected news comes after it recorded a record $1.428 billion half-year profit, which it put down to a better-than-expected demand for flying post-COVID.
The aircraft are set to arrive from late 2024 and will add more than 9,000 seats per week to its network.
The Qantas CEO will appear before a Senate committee for the first time since 2014, when he faces the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living next Monday.
Kirsty Ferguson, who heads Pinstripe Solutions, believes that the impact of furloughs and layoffs during COVID lockdowns shook the confidence of pilots and crew who believed they had solid jobs, leading many to leave the sector or seek greener pastures overseas.
HARS Aviation Museum will display a range of vintage aircraft from the ’50s and ’60s this September to commemorate the sacrifice of 60,000 Australian men and women who served in the Vietnam War, including 523 who lost their lives and more than 3,000 who were wounded.
The authority has come under fire over the incident, which killed 12-year-old Amber Jess Millar and the helicopter’s pilot, 40-year-old Troy Thomas, after The Australian obtained documents under FOI suggesting CASA had known of previous reckless conduct by Thomas’s company, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, in 2018.
International news agency Reuters cited unnamed industry sources claiming that the Flying Kangaroo will purchase an as-yet-unspecified number of 787-10s, which would complement its existing fleet of 14 787-9s, and that the order could be announced as early as this month.
Under the scheme, Gold or higher status members of “other Australian airline loyalty programs” can apply for a fast-tracked “Discover Gold” trial Velocity membership, giving them three months of access to perks including lounges, priority boarding, preferential seating and extra baggage.
According to Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, international airfares are currently 50 per cent higher than they were pre-pandemic, and increasing aviation capacity between Australia and other key regions will help bring down cost of living pressures.
The minister has expressed concern that Archerfield Airport Corporation’s (AAC) current draft Master Plan – which is intended to replace the existing one from 2017 – has insufficient detail in some areas around environmental impact management, land use, and future development.
The airline dropped below even long-time worst performer Jetstar, with 58.9 per cent on-time departures and 59.2 per cent on-time arrivals, compared to Jetstar’s 66.3 per cent and 68.1 per cent respectively. Of Virgin’s flights, 5.3 per cent were cancelled, compared to Jetstar’s 3.3 per cent.
Speaking to a Senate inquiry in Adelaide on Monday, Christian Bennett, Virgin’s head of sustainability and corporate affairs, said the decision by Transport Minister Catherine King not to grant Qatar more direct flights is boosting the Flying Kangaroo at Virgin’s expense.
The airshow, which was created by the team behind the Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach, California, attracted around 200–300,000 total attendees over the weekend, either paid or watching from a distance. Organisers have now told local media that there is room to grow up to half as much again.
Celebrating the man who didn’t much care for the odds During my research for my feature on the life of Max Hazelton, I managed to track down the newspaper clippings detailing the incredible search for him after his plane crash in 1954. The operation to find the grazier quickly became the biggest in Australian
The Flying Kangaroo will use larger aircraft on several routes, including its three new 787 Dreamliners and its returned A380s, as well as increasing frequency on other routes. The carrier is currently at around 80 per cent of its pre-pandemic international traffic.
In a forceful statement, the Flying Kangaroo said it “completely rejects” the allegations in the suit filed by Echo Law, and that it had not yet been served a claim as of midday Monday. Around $400 million in unclaimed COVID-19 credits remained as of June, most ranging between $100 and $500.
The championship, to be held in Northam around 100km east of Perth from 2 to 9 September, is the first in five years and the first ever outside the Northern Hemisphere. Five Australians will compete including NSW’s Nicola Scaife, already a two-time world champion.
Echo Law has lodged proceedings in the Federal Court against the Flying Kangaroo on behalf of what it says are “hundreds of thousands” of Qantas passengers.
Geoff Culbert made the comments as the airport revealed domestic passenger traffic slipped to just 87 per cent of pre-pandemic figures in July.
Organisers estimate the event attracted just under 100,000 paying attendees, but the overall number watching on from balconies or further up the beach could swell numbers to up to 300,000.
The sensors, positioned in Keilor, Sunshine and Bulla, complement six existing noise monitors operated by Airservices Australia, and have been set up in response to community feedback during last year’s public exhibition of the new north-south runway project slated to open in 2027.
The American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft, used during the Vietnam War, is a direct reminder of the 36 Royal Australian Air Force pilots who flew with the US Air Force 19th and 20th Tactical Air Support Squadrons during the conflict.
Running until 20 August, the airshow features aerobatic displays, demonstrations of RAAF and US military aircraft, street vendors, STEM exhibitions, art, entertainment, and other attractions. The Australian Aviation team is on the ground to cover the event.
Flight ZL709 touched down in Hobart at 11:30am on Thursday aboard VH-8KH. Rex is now flying daily between the two capitals, complementing its Saab 340 regional services to Burnie, Devonport, and King Island, and adding an extra 128,000 seats per year between Tasmania and the mainland.
In its Australian Aviation Network Overview 2023, the air traffic control body said there has been a 16.3 per cent increase in average daily drone flights in FY2023 vs FY2022. December 2022 was the highest month for detections, with 5,258 drone activities spotted near airports.
The partnership, which began in 2013 and was re-authorised in 2018, was slated to expire on 31 March 2023, but was granted interim authorisation days before it was up, allowing it to continue while the competition watchdog made a more substantive determination.
Ella Watson from Western Australia, and Spencer Holmes and Joshua Kilgour from Queensland, will each receive up to $5,000 to go towards earning their Civil Aviation Safety Regulation (CASR) Part 66 engineer licences.
The 21 RAAF members conducted the training with Indonesian Air Force F-16 pilots out of Denpasar Airport earlier in August, operating a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport Aircraft.
The low-cost carrier is set to name the new plane ‘Matilda’ after the Matildas football team, which reached the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final this year. It will join Bonza’s four other 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which are nicknamed ‘Bazza’, ‘Shazza’, ‘Sheila’ and ‘Malc’.
The Leonardo AW139 was conducting a late-night medical rescue at Manly in May 2021 when its tail rotor struck a small tree, though the crew did not notice until after they had already discontinued the approach and landed at another site a kilometre away.
Adam and Chris discuss the latest as the Flying Kangaroo becomes the most high-profile company in Australia to throw its weight behind the Indigenous Voice.
Davida Forshaw’s allegations that her career was hindered by her male colleagues and she was subjected to sexual harassment took a blow on Wednesday (16 August) morning after Qantas successfully argued her amended statement of claim was not valid.
Starting on 8 December, the airline will fly three return services per week from Melbourne to Noumea, operating Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday services on its Airbus A320neo aircraft.
The carrier will continue to operate services from Perth to Albany, Esperance, and Carnarvon and Monkey Mia, while regional airline Skippers Aviation will retain its Perth–Laverton–Leonora and Perth–Wiluna–Meekatharra–Mount Magnet routes.
Speaking to Murray Jones on 4CA Cairns on Tuesday, Minister King mentioned the industry’s ongoing skills shortage, saying airlines had let staff go and many people had not returned to aviation, and added that this was also a problem at Airservices.
The partnership with Enterprise, which has flown Antarctic services in a fleet of DHC-6 Twin Otter and DC-3T Basler aircraft since 2001, follows a similar announcement earlier this month of an exclusive partnership with Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd.
Australia’s first dedicated coating facility, specialising in applying stealth paint to the aircraft, will be built in partnership with BAE Systems Australia and responsible for the maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade activities for Australia’s fleet of 72 F-35A aircraft.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 was en route to Kuala Lumpur when a passenger allegedly became belligerent and claimed to have explosives, causing the plane to return to Sydney at around 3:45pm. Police arrested him without incident, and all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
Western Australia’s main gateway surpassed 14 million passengers in the 2022–23 financial year, down just two per cent on FY2019. This was driven in no small part by a huge boost in regional aviation traffic, with both May and June 2023 seeing record regional passenger numbers.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports all lost money on aeronautical services last year, with Melbourne down the most at 38.8 per cent, and Perth the least at 0.05 per cent. Sydney and Brisbane recorded losses of 27.4 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively.
From 9 October to 30 November, the main runway will be closed between 2am and 11:30am, with regional airline traffic to use the second runway if required. In a statement, a Jetstar spokesperson confirmed that the airline has now cancelled all flights between Darwin and Bali between 9 and 28 October.
The Flying Kangaroo has unveiled a new livery for three of its aircraft – a Qantas 737-800, a Jetstar A320, and a QantasLink Dash 8 – featuring the Yes campaign’s logo, saying it has long supported reconciliation and a “fair go”.
Pacific Airshow Gold Coast Director, Kevin Elliott, said the event is “beyond honoured” to have Tucker as an ambassador for the show.
China Southern, Asia’s largest airline by fleet size, will fly four times per week between Brisbane and its base in Guangzhou starting on 17 November, using 334-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The service is expected to add almost 278,000 inbound seats between Brisbane and China over three years.
However, in a significant moment, international travel rose to 92 per cent of 2019 figures, buoyed by the arrival of travellers from China, India and the UK.
The event, now in its 27th year, includes personnel from India, Japan and the US, while other aircraft taking part include Hawk 127, P-8A Poseidon and the MH60R Seahawk.
This week, Adam, Chris and Jake discuss and latest and ask whether ATC’s mea culpa will calm anger across the industry.
In total, the airport saw 4.08 million international passengers, compared to 6.29 in the 2019 financial year, and 16.08 million domestic passengers, compared to 17.6 million in FY19. Additionally, June 2023 saw a 98 per cent domestic recovery and 77 per cent international recovery on June 2019.
The 21-year-old aircraft, VH-8TG, was last used by Indonesian carrier Sriwijaya Air before its freighter conversion, with other past operators including Garuda Indonesia and Ryanair. It can carry over 23.9 tonnes of cargo.
A call to action was announced for the sovereign UAS product crucial to national defence during discussions at the 2023 ADM Defence and Industry Research Symposium hosted by the University of South Australia on 8 August.
The twice-weekly return flights on Tuesday and Saturday, beginning 21 November, mark Vietjet’s entry into Australia’s west coast and will raise the airline’s flights between Australia and Vietnam to 19 per week. The route will be serviced by 230-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft.
FlyPelican will operate two hour-long flights per week between Narrabri and its base in Newcastle, starting on 25 August. Currently, Narrabri is served only by Link Airways, which flies to Brisbane and Sydney.
CSIRO’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap, developed in concert with Boeing, asserts that Australia has a “moment-in-time opportunity” to develop its own SAF industry, with domestic demand for jet fuel expected to surge 75 per cent by 2050.
The Qatari flag carrier, which is allowed to operate 28 weekly flights across Australia’s four major airports of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, also flies daily between Doha and Adelaide via Melbourne. There is no restriction on the number of flights it can operate to minor airports.
A 48-hour pause was initially implemented on all Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NH90 medium utility helicopters including three deployed to Exercise Talisman Sabre, following the tragic loss of the ADF helicopter and four onboard aircrew. The Taipan's black box was recovered on Tuesday.
The Hong Kong-based carrier will fly six times per week between Hong Kong and Brisbane using the Boeing 777-300ER, up from four times per week, adding up to 76,440 inbound seats in the first year of operation as well as extra cargo space for exports.
In a hugely significant development, Defence confirmed on Tuesday that a RAN dive team recovered the voice and flight data recorder from the wreckage.
The Singaporean national carrier will phase in changes to its Australian routes from March 2024, including increased capacity to Adelaide, Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne to meet a rise in demand for international travel via SIA’s hub at Changi Airport.
The works, which include maintenance on the main north-south runway 16R/34L, building new taxiways, and the construction of Sydney Gateway motorway, will mean late-night freight aircraft and others permitted during curfew hours will use the parallel north-south runway 16L/34R instead.
Peter Wilson, who began working for the Flying Kangaroo as a pilot in 1985, has around 17,500 professional flight hours and has held numerous executive positions, including COO and interim CEO of Tigerair and COO of Qantas.
Australia confirmed the acquisition of 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters this year after approval was given from the US State Department for a US$1.95 billion purchase.
The Flight Attendants Association of Australia has accused the Flying Kangaroo of a “breathtaking” lack of transparency over the deal, which it says will use “labour hire” firms.
The appointment was announced just days after Airservices CEO Jason Harfield admitted his organisation is not delivering the standard of service expected following a row over closed airspace.
However, Jason Harfield insisted “aviation safety performance has been maintained” and pledged to ensure “transparency and accountability for our ongoing performance”.
The agreement will see Flair aircraft and crew fly Bonza-branded flights in the Australian summer, while Bonza will reciprocate and send its planes and people to Canada during the North American peak season.
The report into the incident last year said balloon maker Kubicek Balloons made “incorrect assumptions” about a modification and didn’t then subsequently conduct the required test necessary to ensure it was safe.
The systems allow users to manage and safely support incoming flights when traditional infrastructure does not exist or has been damaged by disaster or warfighting.
An ATSB report reveals the decision of staff on the 737 to continue on as planned to Sydney, rather than the closer Norfolk Island, meant “no additional risk” was added to an already “high workload situation”.
Searchers have also found parts of the helicopter’s cockpit in water about 40 metres deep, despite poor weather hampering the recovery.
In this special premium podcast, Jake Nelson asks Shane O’Hare about slots, carriers and expansion.
Adam, Jake and Chris discuss what this means for the airline’s strategy and what might be going on with its wet lease agreement.
The Herald Sun uncovered comments on the forum, which the paper believes is moderated by a Qantas captain, containing crude misogynistic jokes, disparagement of incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson, and complaints that women have an “advantage” over male pilots.
The Robinson R44, registered VH-KOV, was brought down by a seized clutch actuator lower bearing resulting in a loss of engine power to the rotor system, the ATSB found. Two passengers were severely injured, while the pilot and third passenger escaped with minor injuries.
In draft documents obtained by the Australian Financial Review, which have been held back from publication since April, the advocate found that despite lower passenger numbers post-COVID, there was a sharp increase last year in complaints about the Flying Kangaroo over pre-COVID levels.
The Kiwi national carrier is looking to fly an electric, hydrogen or hybrid aircraft on a cargo-only demonstrator route by 2026, and expects to make an announcement around the type of aircraft it will be using by early next year.
The ninth Jetstar NEO, VH-OFY, was delivered to Jetstar’s Melbourne base on 24 July, and has since operated domestic flights as well as services to Denpasar. Nine more are slated to arrive by the end of next year, with a further five, plus 15 A321neo XLRs, to enter the Jetstar fleet by the end of 2029.
HWL Ebsworth, one of Australia's largest commercial law firms, had 3.6 terabytes of data stolen earlier this year. Rex’s daily operations remain unaffected, and the carrier currently believes passenger details have not been affected.
The proposed options include allowing aircraft to both arrive and depart over Moreton Bay as a priority when conditions allow, and implementing noise-sharing alternatives to ease the nighttime impacts on communities to the north and north-east of the airport.
The surprise announcement will also see the new airline initially ‘wet lease’ aircraft, meaning another airline will operate the services under the Bonza brand.
The 63-year-old man was flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital with severe injuries after the plane crashed into the horse during takeoff on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula on Sunday.
The Defence Minister added that exercises such as Talisman Sabre are critical to securing the country and hailed the men for “making a difference”.
In a significant intervention, the airline’s domestic CEO accused Sydney Airport of “demonising” its “biggest customer” as it responded to claims it’s hoarding the most lucrative take-off slots to block out smaller rivals.
Flight QG556 landed in Perth at 12:11am on Sunday, on board the Airbus A320neo aircraft PK-GTI. It took off for Jakarta at 1:44am as QG557, landing in the Indonesian capital at 5am local time.
It comes as the Head of Army defended the use of the troubled aircraft and urged people not to jump to conclusions about the cause of the accident.
The aircraft crashed south of Hamilton Island on Friday while participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre, an enormous ‘war game’ involving 30,000 participants.
Pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan, flying in the Jabiru, were killed in the mid-air collision on Friday, but the male pilot in the other aircraft was uninjured.
The aircraft, VH-8KH, departed Singapore on 27 July at 5:07 pm as flight ZL9967 and landed in Brisbane the next day, via a stop in Darwin.
A Nexus de Havilland Dash 8-Q400 took off shortly after 7am Friday on the multi-stop Broome–Kununurra–Darwin flight, adding to the airline’s two other routes from Geraldton–Perth and Geraldton–Karratha–Port Hedland–Broome.
During the exercise, troops perform large-scale logistics and amphibious assault training operations and multinational firepower demonstrations to simulate operations against an enemy.
Adam, Jake and Chris discuss the latest as take-off technicalities become national news.
VH-ZNN, named ‘Snowy River’, took off from Melbourne to London (Heathrow) via Perth at 3:33pm on Thursday. It is Qantas’s 14th 787-9, and the last of a batch of three that began arriving in May following a two-year delay.
In a quarterly earnings call, the planemaker said it is in “prep mode” to further increase 737 production to 42 per month. Though did not give a firm date, it plans to reach 50 planes per month by 2025–26. Production of 787s is also increasing to five per month later this year, and 10 by 2025–26.
The Rex Domestic Pilots’ Enterprise Agreement was supported by almost 75 per cent of the pilot body in mid-June, while the NJE Logistics Enterprise Agreement was approved by 100 per cent of affected employees.
Registered VH-VQX, the aircraft – the first of two on order from Airbus, with the second to arrive by the end of the year – makes WA Police the first law enforcement jurisdiction in the Southern Hemisphere to operate the H145.
The United Firefighters Union said the “zombie” reforms, which arose from a CASA review under the former Coalition Government, would see fewer aviation firefighters protecting air travellers and add delays to response times.
Air traffic control via satellites is a step closer after Skykraft conducted a “world-first” trial of the technology. The test used the same Very High Frequency (VHF) band traditionally employed by ATC, but that currently can only be accessed in the range of a ground-based radio.
Peter Harris, who chaired the Productivity Commission from 2012 to 2018, said it was the “height of absurdity” to think that the domestic market can only sustain two airlines as calls continue to mount for an overhaul of the controversial takeoff slot system.
Scamwatch has received 209 reports in the past four months about text message scams targeting loyalty program members, including Qantas, Coles, and Telstra consumers.
Speaking on Today this week, Mr Shorten, now the Federal Minister for Government Services, seemed to agree with host Karl Stefanovic’s description of Australia’s airports as a “basket case” beset by “last minute cancellations [and] delays that stretch into the hours and days”.
The Turkish flag carrier is hoping to fly daily to Sydney and Melbourne, totalling 14 flights per week, as reported in The Australian Financial Review, but needs federal government approval as well as “fifth freedoms” that would allow it to fly from Melbourne and Sydney to Singapore.
The TWU is calling on Virgin and Bain Capital to “invest in [the airline’s] long-term success” before moving ahead with the ASX listing, and to address workplace issues that workers say have caused stress and fatigue.
The Flying Kangaroo has taken out a combination of radio and full-page newspaper ads as it pushes customers to use around $400 million in unclaimed credits accrued during the COVID-19 shutdowns, and says more than $1 billion in credits has already been claimed across Qantas and Jetstar.
Australian Defence Force personnel have begun monitoring the Chinese intelligence ship pictured as it observes Exercise Talisman Sabre, which is in full swing after its official launch on 21 July with an opening ceremony onboard HMAS Canberra.
The intervention comes amid a row over whether or not Airservices has enough employees to run the network following hundreds of occasions over the last year where it has effectively shut down a significant portion of airspace.
The low-cost carrier is undergoing what it says is one of its biggest-ever pilot intakes, which will support new routes including Sydney to Rarotonga, Brisbane to Seoul and Melbourne to Fiji, as well as its push to improve reliability.
The group boarding procedure trials will see Qantas passengers board aircraft based on where they are seated, with group numbers printed on boarding passes, while premium customers will retain their own dedicated boarding lane.
The airport’s first international flight since the pandemic, Fiji Airways flight FJ950, left Canberra on board the 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAF at 2:39pm on Friday. Two return services per week will operate between Canberra and Nadi on Tuesdays and Fridays, with Sunday flights to be added from October.
The new aircraft are expected to arrive from late 2027 and will continue to be operated by No. 37 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond in NSW.
Australian Aviation’s Victor Pody was on hand to capture the moment VH-ZNN, named ‘Snowy River’, landed in the Victorian capital at 8:15am as flight QF7879.
It follows a similar situation in Sydney, which led to its CEO telling big airlines to use their take-off slots or gift them to smaller carriers to increase competition.
The 10th edition of the 14-day ‘war game’ is primarily intended to improve interoperability between the Australian and US militaries, and this year will be held primarily in Queensland.
New BITRE data released by the Department of Transport presents fresh evidence that major airlines are taking advantage of the rules around take-off slots to punish smaller rivals.
The AIPA is arguing that Qantas second officers who are passed over for the A380 in favour of pilots from outside the company should be compensated, while Qantas says the pilots’ union has “unreasonably” withheld its agreement to sourcing external A380 pilots.
Adelaide will be the first airport outside of Sydney and Melbourne to be a permanent base for the NEOs, which will service domestic routes, as well as flights to Bali currently served by A320s. The NEOs will operate up to two direct Denpasar flights per day starting on Friday.
Geoff Culbert has pointed the finger squarely at airlines for Sydney’s lagging domestic recovery, which saw passenger numbers last month grow just 1.2 per cent year-on-year to 1.90 million travellers.
Following his final flight from Vancouver to Auckland, Ron Twine joined Jake Nelson on the Australian Aviation podcast to discuss his long career.
Repainting is the final step of the P-8A and E-7A’s deeper maintenance services performed by Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) around every 72 months and involves stripping the aircraft back to bare metal, inspecting and repairing for corrosion, defects and dents, and painting and applying decals.
The ASX-listed company announced that it has received a contract from a United States government agency for equipment and services. The contract payment is scheduled for receipt before the end of 2023.
The Middle Eastern carrier had planned to operate extra flights to destinations like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Federal Transport Minister Catherine King, however, has knocked back expanding Qatar’s air rights.
Does the airline's announcement that it will cut routes spell the end for the point-to-point dream? Adam, Chris and Jake discuss.
Dubbed Naarm Way, the road was opened on Tuesday, and provides a new dedicated exit that bypasses all intersections between the freeway and the transport hub at Terminal 4. It is the largest road investment Melbourne Airport has made since Airport Drive opened in 2015.
As many as 440 drones dropped out of the sky during a pre-game light display to celebrate the Matildas’ soccer match against France at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on Friday evening, according to the ATSB, with efforts ongoing to retrieve them before their batteries pollute the river.
The two new aircraft will bring Rex’s 737 fleet from seven to nine, as the airline announced in February. Rex expects the planes to arrive in Australia by the end of July and September respectively, with the first to enter service next month.
According to the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), the C-130 Hercules maintenance workers were recently offered a larger rise and back pay by Airbus Australia Pacific in exchange for giving up their boots and first aid allowances.
Flight GD2448 from Geraldton arrived in Perth at 8:04am on Monday, the first service by Nexus into the Western Australian capital. The service, which uses 76-seater de Havilland Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, is estimated to add around 95,000 seats between the two destinations per year.
Starting on 6 December, the Hong Kong-based carrier will increase its Perth–Hong Kong route from three to five flights per week using its 280-seat Airbus A350-900 fleet.
Under the expanded codeshare agreement, customers will be able to book ANA flights directly through Virgin Australia’s website, as well as earning Velocity frequent flyer points and status credits on ANA services.
Industry professionals have reached out to Australian Aviation anonymously in the wake of recent stories about the situation at Airservices, particularly after comments by the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots (AFAP) earlier this month.
Speaking to the House Standing Committee on Economics in Toowoomba last month, Manish Raniga, chief executive officer, airline investments at 777 Partners, said the “length of runway” for Bonza will eventually “run out” if the airline cannot gain appropriate access to Australia’s largest airport.
Under the two-year agreement, BAE Systems will sustain the electronic support measures and electronic warfare self-protection systems for Boeing Defence Australia under Wedgetail’s Airborne Early Warning & Control program.
VH-OQI, which left the Victorville boneyard in January, saw two issues in the span of two days late last week – one of which forced it to return to London on a flight to Singapore.
The firm, which employs almost 4,000 employees across 16 catering facilities in Australia, is seeking to fill frontline roles at major and regional airports, as well as support roles in areas including finance, procurement and culinary.
Susan Schneider told a parliamentary inquiry there was not a “sinister motive” behind the high cancellation rate on flights between Sydney and Melbourne.
The fixed-wing ‘Volanti’ device is being deployed under a landmark agricultural program to use sensors in the air to predict crop yields on the ground.
The FIFO and charter operator also said in a statement released to the ASX that it now expects to record a net profit before tax of nearly $57 million in FY23, up slightly from its previous estimate.
Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Povey said that she was “confident” the network changes meant Bonza now has enough aircraft to service the 22 routes it will keep after 1 August.
Interim Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Gary Allen said that he “fully understands and supports” the airline’s decision, which was made to boost reliability on higher-demand routes.
Chief customer officer Carly Povey admitted to Australian Aviation that the decision to cut back services had been made earlier than Bonza would have liked, and added the company was compelled to take out routes where there wasn’t “sustainable demand at present”.
Bonza launched its single route from Coffs Harbour, which flew to the Sunshine Coast, on 21 April, and is dropping it just over three months later due to low demand. The low-cost carrier has flown twice per week between the two holiday destinations, with some initial tickets on sale for as little as $29.
In March, Rex’s deputy chairman quipped he “can’t imagine” why anyone would fly Bonza’s then-upcoming ‘point-to-point’ route between Coffs Harbour and the Sunshine Coast.
This week, Adam, Jake and Chris ask what’s going on and debate who, if anyone, is to blame.
Milne has worked with Qantas on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and is currently, as chief of Skytrans, aiming to operate Australia’s first zero-emissions hydrogen-powered commercial flight by 2026 in partnership with Stralis.
Nathaniel Whitehall, 55, received three community correction orders and a $4,500 fine in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court for eight offences of working as a lawyer without a practising certificate.
The NSW-based regional airline will operate three flights per week starting 29 August for an initial period of six months with a service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Major airframe components including centre and rear fuselage are now under construction at the Airbus factory in Mirabel, Canada. Qantas has ordered 29 A220 aircraft to replace QantasLink’s ageing Boeing 717 fleet.
The AAD is looking to bring together its specialised aerial operations under one operator, and is seeking expanded capabilities including a large intercontinental aircraft, four intracontinental turboprops with skis, four twin-engine helicopters that can operate on land and ship, and a “significant scaling up” of Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) capability.
After the airline put out a call on Facebook to find its owner, a young boy named Harry has been given back the teddy bear he accidentally left behind on a Virgin flight to Perth on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have confirmed Australia will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to Germany to help protect a vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.
Our second annual awards, run with support from principal partner UNSW Sydney, will culminate in a gala black-tie ceremony on Thursday, 31 August 2023, at The Star, Sydney.
The industrial action, which began last Tuesday, has upended travel plans, as Air Tahiti Nui flights to Auckland – which would connect to Australian destinations such as Sydney, Brisbane and Perth – have been cancelled at the very last minute.
Citilink, an arm of Indonesian national carrier Garuda Indonesia, will fly daily between Perth and Bali starting 19 July, and three times per week between Perth and Jakarta starting 29 July. Both routes will use Airbus A320 aircraft.
The document, published this month, offers guidance for vertiport builds in areas such as location, physical design, essential and optional components, and obstacle limitation surfaces, and was developed following extensive industry consultation.
The MOU will see Quickstep provide component support for Alliance’s E190 fleet, which is expected to grow to 63 by 2026 following the purchase of 30 of the Embraer jets in February.
Batik Air Malaysia, formerly Malindo Air, will operate three times per week between Adelaide and the Malaysian capital. Its first flight on the route, OD121 from KL, touched down in Adelaide at 8:20am on Friday morning on board the 737 MAX 8 9M-LRR (pictured).
Jayne Hrdlicka told The Australian Financial Review at the weekend that there is “no pressure” to relist and added airline was instead concentrating on revamping its fleet and rebuilding for the long term.
American aerospace company Mission Systems Davenport will provide a redesign and upgrade of the existing On-Board Oxygen System GGU-12+ oxygen concentrator.
The close call came a week after 170 flights into and out of the NSW capital were cancelled last week, just as NSW’s school holiday getaway began.
The airport has described the challenging upgrade as being like “open heart surgery” but said the new process would eventually reduce the number of lost items.
It significantly follows 170 flights into and out of the NSW capital being cancelled last week just as NSW’s school holiday getaway began.
The Flying Kangaroo will add 16 flights between Sydney and Melbourne and Christchurch and Wellington, alongside another 50 interstate flights within Australia.
Rex has dismissed Whyalla City Council’s claim that it could not afford to modify its airport terminal as a “deceitful and deceptive” assertion.
The upgrades, partly funded by a $55 million grant from the Federal Government, will see Newcastle overhaul its international terminal, including passenger and border processing facilities, to better support international flights to and from the airport.
On Friday, organisers released an updated itinerary that includes the RAAF Super Hornet, Hercules and Globemaster alongside a big presence from the US military.
Partnering with flight training provider Inbound Aviation, the Newcastle-based airline – which operates a fleet of 19-seat British Aerospace Jetstream 32 turboprop aircraft servicing regional routes around NSW and the ACT – will take on its first cadets in late August.
The Vietnamese low-cost carrier will introduce daily flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City, and up its frequency from two to three return flights from Brisbane per week using its A330 fleet.
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) has told Australian Aviation that its members have encountered “chronic” and “systemic” staffing problems at Airservices dating back to before COVID-19. It comes after reports emerged earlier this year that there were 340 instances of “uncontrolled airspace” from June to April 2023, with Airservices admitting to “staff availability issues”.
Mayor Phill Stone said the airline was “ignoring the facts of the situation” and added the business’ proposed terminal renovations would have been unfeasible.
With things seemingly going back to the bad old days of 2022, Adam, Chris and Jake ask what’s going wrong and what can be done to fix it.
The low-cost carrier confirmed in a statement that it has stopped selling direct flights between Darwin and Denpasar – which operate five times per week – from 9 October to 8 November, as Defence, which owns Darwin Airport, may have plans to upgrade the runway during this time.
The move — revealed earlier this year as part of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) into the military — is part of a broader shake-up that will see the newly formed No. 1 Space Surveillance Unit (1SSU) assume operation of Defence’s space domain awareness capabilities.
The light plane crashed after hitting a large bird during spraying operations near Chinchilla on September 19, 2022, about eight feet above ground level. The ATSB has established that the birdstrike, which shattered the right windshield, likely caused the pilot to lose control.
Airflite was awarded the $16 million contract covering the whole aeronautical life support equipment (ALSE) life cycle after a competitive tender process, and will now cover design, development, production, operation, maintenance, and disposal.
Starting in December, the low-cost carrier will fly non-stop between Melbourne and Fiji three times per week, carrying an estimated 72,000 passengers per year. Its existing Sydney service will also be changed to three times per week from December, using the neo from October.
The carrier confirmed that the two routes are being shut down for five months following a performance review, which considered demand and forward bookings among other factors. This will allow Virgin to reallocate the aircraft and resources from these routes to services in higher demand.
Flight NC344 departed Brisbane for Moranbah on Monday morning as the inaugural service for NJE’s contract with mining giant BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA). The carrier will use de Havilland Dash 8-Q400NG aircraft in the state, with a second to be introduced to Queensland next month.
Civil Air accused the organisation responsible for managing Australia’s skies of a “constant reliance on overtime”, which it argued had led to tiredness and work/life balance issues among employees.
Hainan Airlines has restarted twice-weekly Airbus A330 return services between Melbourne and Haikou, meaning almost all eight of the mainland Chinese carriers that operated to Melbourne before COVID-19 have come back to the airport. The flights will expand capacity between Melbourne and China by more than 1200 seats per week.
The low-cost carrier will operate three return flights per week from Sydney to Rarotonga using its Airbus A321neo LR (NEO) aircraft, with the first flight taking off for Avarua last Thursday night as JQ141 on board VH-OFS.
The airline pulled out of Whyalla at the start of this month amid a stoush with the local council over passing on increased costs of security screenings to airlines.
From February, the low-cost carrier will operate a return flight from Sydney or Brisbane to the South Korean capital every day as it launches a service departing Sydney on Mondays and returning on Tuesdays. The flights will add an extra 30,000 seats to the route per year.
The investment will include renovations and the construction of new facilities to accommodate the helicopter and crew, which will arrive from 2025.
The disruption follows Airservices Australia, which oversees air traffic control, on Friday switching the country’s biggest airport off parallel runway operations as winds peaked at 37km an hour.
Airservices Australia, which oversees air traffic control, said the decision to switch to single runway operations is not due to a lack of controllers but purely as a safety precaution.
Gate 3 at the airport will handle all Rex and Link Airways flights with fewer than 40 passengers, which do not require security screening, after Federal funding for screening processes at regional airports ends on July 1. Qantas passengers will continue to use the screened departure gate.
The organisation that runs ATC said the shutdown, between 6 am and 1:30 pm, was instead due to a “short-term” and “unplanned” leave of controllers and did not affect safety.
The low-cost carrier’s problems with cancellations are compounded because it mostly flies ‘low frequency’ routes not serviced by its rivals – meaning customers often struggle to find alternative transport home.
The two airlines will appear at public hearings as the committee examines issues around the aviation, banking and social procurement sectors. Three days of hearings will be held in total: one in Toowoomba on 30 June, and two in Melbourne on 4-5 July.
The NZ national carrier is putting on extra return flights from Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland to Sydney and Melbourne in February, as well as adding seats on existing flights, to cope with an anticipated surge in demand from Kiwis snubbed by the songstress’ Eras Tour, which is bypassing the Land of the Long White Cloud entirely.
The airline will fly daily between the two capitals using its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the first flight, ZL817, taking off from Sydney on Thursday aboard VH-RQG. According to Rex deputy chairman John Sharp, the route has already seen “strong demand from eager travellers”.
Tom Ganley, who has almost 35 years of airport experience including as a director and former chair of the Australian Airports Association (AAA), will take up the position at Parafield from 1 July.
In this episode, Adam, Chris and Jake discuss whether we should care about the ‘purring’ of an aircraft overhead, alongside the latest news on sustainable aviation fuel and redeeming COVID-19 credits.
Originally intended to launch with the airline’s new 737 MAX aircraft, the first flight took off from Cairns as VA77 on board the 737-700 VH-VBZ (similar aircraft pictured) at 2:51pm on Wednesday. The airline will fly daily between Cairns and Tokyo year-round.
Gissing, who is stepping down in November, has served as QantasLink CEO since April 2012, as well as Qantas Group Executive Associated Airlines & Services since 2015. He was previously a founding member of Jetstar’s executive team.
VH-8IA, nicknamed ‘Monkey Mia’, is expected to land in Brisbane this week after numerous delays, and will fly between Cairns and Tokyo (Haneda) after obtaining regulatory approval. The airline has a further seven MAX 8 and 25 MAX 10 aircraft on order.
The reshuffle will include the creation of a chief people officer role to handle both human resources and industrial relations, which are currently separate portfolios. The Flying Kangaroo is undertaking a search for the executive who will fill the position.
The chief financial officer will replace current CEO David Ruff, who is retiring at the end of July after 15 years with Babcock Australasia. Mr Cridland has been a mainstay at Babcock in Australia and the United Kingdom since his employment began in 2015.
The plane, nicknamed “Monkey Mia”, is the first of eight MAX 8 aircraft Virgin has on order from Boeing. It is earmarked for use on the airline’s Cairns-Tokyo (Haneda) route, due to launch on Wednesday.
The Flying Kangaroo says its domestic capacity has reached pre-pandemic levels, while international capacity is “climbing towards” that mark as the group predicts more than four million passengers on Qantas and Jetstar services over the winter holidays.
The Flying Kangaroo has also revealed the program, which aims to train up to 300 people each year from 2025, will be run in partnership with Aviation Australia.
The flight paths, which will be subject to a formal planning and consultation period later this year, have been designed for WSI’s single initial runway. They include reciprocal runway operations (RRO), where planes arrive and depart from the same direction, to minimise noise at night when traffic permits.
The airport expects domestic figures to reach similar levels to last year – around 84 per cent of pre-COVID levels – and international passengers to climb 53 per cent over the 2022 winter holidays, driven in no small part by the New Zealand market.
The low-cost carrier will fly three times per week between Cairns and Newcastle using Airbus A320 aircraft, translating to around 4,400 seats on the route per month until 28 October. The first flight, JQ894, touched down in Newcastle at 3:08pm on Saturday on board VH-VQF.
The first flight, NZ169, landed at Sunshine Coast Airport at 11am on Sunday on board the Airbus A320neo ZK-NHE. Air New Zealand will operate flights three times per week between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast until 15 October, with an estimated 16,000 seats available over the season.
The “Find My Credit” tool can track bookings up to three years old that may have changed several times due to the pandemic. It comes as the total value of unclaimed Qantas flight credits dips towards $400 million, down from the initial $2 billion in March 2020.
NJE, formerly Cobham, has been a part of the pool program since 2014. The program gives customers unlimited access to a wide variety of components at Embraer distribution centres, as well as full coverage for repairs to parts and components plus maintenance to airframes.
The advert states successful candidates may be required to interview the families of those who have died or been seriously injured and will also need to maintain a good level of physical and mental fitness.
The airline announced the deal to use the 737 NG simulator in August last year and said on Friday that having access to the facility would increase its domestic training capacity by 25 per cent.
In a draft determination, the competition watchdog said it would keep a condition meaning the airlines must report their activity between Sydney and Christchurch.
Air Vice-Marshal Darren Goldie, a former Hercules pilot, will move from being Air Commander to the nation’s first cyber security coordinator.
Adam, Chris and Jake discuss whether the stretching area is really an innovation or marketing spin.
Australian Aviation’s Victor Pody was in the Victorian capital to capture the moment the super jumbo, VH-OQL, landed at 7:14am on 17 June.
CASA is collaborating with ACMA on mitigation measures to make sure potential interference to radio altimeters (radalts) from 5G is minimised and that the rollout of wireless broadband, including 5G, in the mid-band range (3.7-4.0GHz) will impact air safety as little as possible.
While BITRE data showed it still had the highest cancellation rate and lowest on-time performance (OTP) among major airlines in May, the low-cost carrier’s cancellation rate almost halved to 4.2 per cent and OTP increased by five percentage points to 62.4 per cent.
The airline will fly between Brisbane and Uluru on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday using Airbus A320 aircraft. The first flight, JQ667 on board the A320-200 VH-XNN, touched down at Ayers Rock Airport just before 11am on Thursday.
More than 1.1 million people are expected to pass through Melbourne’s domestic terminals over the 17 days from Friday, as well as more than 500,000 international travellers. The airport expects the next three Fridays to be the busiest days, with around 105,000 passengers on each day.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will issue grants across the supply chain to support domestic production of SAF from agricultural feedstocks, with applications to open from mid-July.
Dovetail, which is 20 per cent owned by Rex, will use HTWO’s fuel cells for initial testing in Australia as a preliminary step to full-scale trials, with an eye to conducting a first flight next year. The HTWO system will be integrated with Dovetail’s Iron Bird, which was successfully tested last year.
Chinese passengers have recovered to 54 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in May, compared to only 22 per cent at the start of the year. Sydney’s international terminal saw 1,076,000 passengers over the month, while domestic traffic grew 5.5 per cent year-on-year to 1,934,000, or 87.3 per cent of May 2019.
The Flying Kangaroo had announced its intention to take delivery of the extra narrowbodies in February but rubber-stamped the decision with Airbus at the Paris Air Show.
The airline blamed a global shortage of pilots and engineers, along with supply chain shocks post-COVID that have forced it to make reductions to its schedules.
The planemaker’s annual Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), released ahead of the 2023 Paris Airshow, has forecast US$8 trillion in demand for new commercial jets by 2042. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to account for around 40 per cent of this demand, with China alone representing half of that amount.
The Turkish flag carrier is understood to be considering three services per week between Istanbul and Sydney or Melbourne via Singapore from late 2023 or early 2024 using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, with a potential for more services depending on government approval, as reported in The Australian.
Orbx, which was behind the massive overhaul of Australia in Flight Simulator 2020, created a detailed reconstruction of the airport’s layout as of May 2023, including photorealistic buildings, cars, streetlights, elevated roadways and interior modelling of departure lounges.
The defence, aviation and critical services firm has taken office space in Engineering House at 11 National Circuit, Barton, giving it easy access to government customers and industry stakeholders around Capital Hill. The office will support its recent winning high-frequency communications upgrade (JP9101) bid as well as corporate services.
From 1 July, point balances on Velocity Frequent Flyer accounts will expire if the account has been inactive for two years, as the airline ends an expiry freeze that was put in place due to COVID-19. The two-year time limit was Virgin’s previous standard, compared to 18 months for Qantas Frequent Flyer.
The airline will shift its Tokyo (Narita) service from the Gold Coast to Brisbane, along with commencing new direct flights from Brisbane to Osaka and Seoul (Incheon) and upping the frequency of its existing flights to Bali and Auckland.
Flight VJ83, on board Airbus A330-300 VN-A810, touched down in Brisbane at 9:38pm on Friday night. The low-cost Vietnamese carrier will operate two return flights per week between Ho Chi Minh City and Brisbane and expects to offer 39,000 seats in the route’s first year.
The Flying Kangaroo will operate three Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights per week between Perth and Rome until October 2023, with a total of more than 22,000 seats over four months. Flights for 2024 will go on sale early next month, extending the route into its third year.
No. 9 Squadron was originally formed in 1939 as a fleet cooperation unit working with seaplanes and served during World War II in the Mediterranean Sea.
The ‘Wellbeing Zone’, accessible to all passengers, will feature “sculpted wall panels” and “integrated stretch handles” as well as a guided on-screen exercise program.
Teri O’Toole, Secretary of the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) International Division, has accused the Flying Kangaroo of using NZ crews instead of Australian staff on the longer 16-hour leg of the route so it could offer lower rest entitlements.
Echoing a similar investment by Qantas and Airbus in Queensland, the funding – comprising NZ$1.5 million from Air New Zealand and NZ$765,000 from the government – will go towards next-stage feasibility studies into developing a domestic SAF industry in New Zealand.
The ‘Spartan’ differs from traditional scramjets as it is fuelled by environmentally-friendly hydrogen and can propel its aircraft forward at 12 times the speed of sound.
Take a sneak peak at all classes on the aircraft Qantas hopes will revolutionise ultra-long-haul travel between London and New York to Sydney and Melbourne.
Ron Twine, 74 and Air New Zealand’s longest-serving flight attendant, joined the Kiwi carrier in 1970 at 21 years old, and will work his last flight on Monday when he flies NZ23 from Vancouver to Auckland. He says over the course of his long career he has made lifelong friends among fellow crew members and even passengers.
Domestic passengers were up a modest seven per cent on May 2022, but international traffic doubled year-on-year. Last month saw 3,784 international flights, compared with 1,780 in May 2022, carrying 744,868 passengers – 87.6 per cent of the 2019 figure and 103 per cent of May 2022.
In this episode, Adam, Chris and Jake discuss why you need to take this last chance to enter and share their tips for becoming a nominee.
Flight VN779 landed in Melbourne at 1pm on Thursday on board the seven-year-old Airbus A350-900 aircraft VN-A889. The service will operate twice per week, and compliments Vietnam Airlines’ existing service to Ho Chi Minh City.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) will resume its Perth to Tokyo (Narita) route on 29 October, flying return services three times per week on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and adding almost 75,000 seats back into the market. The route was popular both inbound and outbound until it was suspended in March 2020.
CareFlight CEO Mick Frewen talks to the Australian Aviation Podcast on the aeromedical charity's new electric air ambulances.
The additional flights, set to begin on 1 July, will cater for the island’s growing tourism industry as well as its scheelite mine, said CEO Alistair Dorward.
Alan Joyce quipped his airline’s flights would feature “more room and fewer seats” than “most of its competitors” and had been designed “with long-haul travel in mind”.
Dubbed “Monkey Mia”, the aircraft – registered VH-8IA – will fly domestically for a short period of time to obtain regulatory approval and familiarise crews before beginning flights to Tokyo, according to a Virgin Australia spokesperson.
QF3, from Sydney to New York via Auckland, took off at 9:55am on Wednesday morning aboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner VH-ZNL (pictured), one of Qantas’ newest aircraft, which was delivered at the end of April. The 19-hour route will operate three times weekly, increasing to four from October, with more than 1800 seats per week.
The new widebody aircraft – registered VH-ZNM and named Mateship – only arrived from Boeing’s Everett factory earlier this month but has been quickly put to use.
Revealed over the weekend as a standalone sequel to the 2020 release, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is slated to be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows 10/11, and Steam.
The event, supported by UNSW Sydney, is tracking to be our biggest yet, with submissions already lodged by many of the biggest names in the industry.
Launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California, the prototype is part of a program partnering with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) on a space-based solution to track aircraft and provide global communication between pilots and air traffic control irrespective of a plane’s location.
Supporters of the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA) rallied on Saturday to demand a 10pm-6am curfew at Brisbane Airport, as well as a cap on the total number of flights, similar to the arrangements at Sydney Airport.
The Flying Kangaroo has updated its dress code for the first time in a decade, and will now allow all employees, regardless of gender, to wear flat shoes, long hair in a ponytail or bun, makeup, and the same jewellery including watches.
Adam, Chris and Jake discuss whether the system is helping maintain the duopoly of Qantas and Virgin.
The ‘Spartan’ scramjet is manufactured from special composites designed to resist the extreme heating and cooling experienced when travelling at multiple times the speed of sound.
The first flight from Brisbane to Santo, NF25, operated by Solomon Airlines on behalf of Air Vanuatu, took off at 10:51am on Thursday on board the Airbus A320 H4-SIB (pictured at Townsville in 2020), landing in Santo at 2:03pm local time before returning to Brisbane as NF24 just over an hour later.
Slated for the weekend of 18 and 19 November, the Air Force Newcastle Williamtown Air Show 2023 will feature flying displays over Newcastle beaches and rivers on the Saturday, followed by a ticketed ground display at RAAF Base Williamtown on the Sunday.
Qantas and Air New Zealand have come out against the price rises, which will see charges for domestic jet travel to and from Auckland go from NZ$6.75 to $15.45 by FY27, regional airline charges go from NZ$4.40 to $10.70 by FY27, and international charges go from NZ$23.40 to $46.10 by FY27. Revenue raised will go towards the airport’s expansion program, which includes conversion of the international terminal to handle domestic flights, replacing the ageing domestic terminal.
Queensland-based regional carrier Skytrans is looking to fly between Brisbane and Gladstone using a 15-seat Stralis B1900D-HE, which is a modified Beechcraft 1900D turboprop plane designed and built in Brisbane by Stralis Aircraft. The engines and kerosene fuel system will be replaced by a Hydrogen Electric Propulsion System (HEPS) and liquid hydrogen storage tank, which will emit only water vapour.
An ATSB report into the incident revealed that during the flight the crew descended from 34,000 ft to 28,000 ft due to turbulence, but that resulted in the aircraft using more fuel than planned. A fuel mayday was declared to secure a priority landing.
WSI will see up to 10 Jetstar and five Qantas narrow-body aircraft within the first year, operating more than 25,000 flights carrying around four million passengers per annum to destinations including Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The daily Boeing 737 service will begin on 17 August, and adds to Rex’s existing Saab 340 regional services to Burnie, Devonport, and King Island. The 75-minute flights will depart Melbourne at 12:15pm to arrive in Hobart at 1:30, before leaving at 2:15pm to touch down in Melbourne at 3:30.
In an interview at IATA’s annual general meeting in Istanbul, Hrdlicka said that while slots are “mostly OK”, the current arrangement is making it difficult for airlines to juggle unexpected events as it returns to normal.
108,000 tonnes of concrete, previously part of runway touchdown zones, is being crushed and repurposed as backfill for 250,000m2 of new airfield to the west of the international terminal rather than being sent away as waste. Auckland Airport is aiming to divert at least 70% of its construction waste away from landfill or disposal.
Speaking to the Australian Aviation podcast, Jordan said Bonza’s model involves looking for new markets rather than attempting to go toe-to-toe with legacy carriers on routes such as the Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane “golden triangle”.
Billed as one of the largest cabin crew recruitment drives in the low-cost carrier’s history, the plan will see Jetstar operate almost 40 training schools across the country, and is part of Qantas Group’s ambition to create 8500 new operational roles over the next 10 years.
Joyce still owns many shares in the Flying Kangaroo, and has rights to more including a retention bonus given to him during the pandemic.
The airline’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, said it was “as plain as the nose on your face” that the Flying Kangaroo was “cancelling sufficient flights to remain within the 80-20 rule”.
Bonza CEO Tim Jordan talks to the Australian Aviation podcast about what the future holds for Australia's newest airline now that it has rolled out its first 27 routes.
Speaking at a media roundtable at the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in Istanbul, incoming Qantas CEO and current CFO Vanessa Hudson said premiums on Project Sunrise would at least be similar to those on the current Perth to London route.
The Histopath clinic at Sydney Airport, which has swabbed more than 500,000 passengers since it opened in December 2020, ceased operations on Tuesday after demand slowed to a trickle.
In his first comments on his future, Joyce also said he intends to “take six months off, decompress” and “not make any decisions”.
The airline dispensed with two of its fleet of 12 Super Jumbos during the pandemic, with the other 10 stored in a Californian desert boneyard before being returned to service.
It comes after the ACCC on Monday argued larger airlines “can exploit” the rules to stifle competition from smaller carriers, while Sydney Airport itself agreed the system doesn’t work.
The aeromedical charity will receive $586.1 million over the next decade, including $18.3 million for a newly-built for-purpose hangar at Sunshine Coast Airport’s new Aerospace Precinct, which LifeFlight says is the most significant regional infrastructure project in its 44-year history and capable of housing two AW139 rescue helicopters and one Challenger 604 Air Ambulance jet.
Personnel and aircraft are scheduled to be deployed to RAAF Base Townsville for Exercise High Sierra 23-1 from 12 June to 6 July. Pilots and crew will need to successfully operate away from a main operating base, plan and execute a large force employment scenario, and deliver explosive ordnance into the weapons range. Successful fast jet pilots will graduate to the 81 Wing.
In a scathing assessment of the domestic industry, the competition watchdog said in general the current duopoly of Virgin and Qantas has resulted in higher airfares and poorer service.
Starting on 16 June, the Vietnamese low-cost carrier will operate two return flights per week using A330 aircraft, departing Ho Chi Minh City in the morning and arriving at Brisbane in the evening (local time) before returning to Ho Chi Minh City overnight.
The report by the competition watchdog on the aviation industry concludes that cost of living pressures and a weakening of post-pandemic demand are cancelling out lower ticket costs.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) told Australian Aviation the new exam will be in place within the next few months, with drone operators no longer required to take the current IREX exam designed for planes and helicopters.
Regional Australian and South Pacific airlines will collaborate more closely after the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) invited the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA) to become an affiliate member.
An ATSB report into the incident in November last year at Fortnum in WA’s Murchison region revealed how the blade struck matting laid over the top of the gravel apron.
Personnel from RAAF No. 11 Squadron and their five squadron counterparts took part in the Exercise Albatross AusIndo, one of three annual training exercises the RAAF conducts with the Indonesian Air Force.
Though an initial review has not found any safety issues from airspace arrangements, CASA has called for pilots and operators to give feedback as part of a broader investigation. CASA’s review is separate to an ongoing ATSB investigation into the crash, expected to finish in the second half of next year, but the authority will cooperate with the ATSB as part of its work.
From 1 July, the Flying Kangaroo will add four extra services to and from the SA city. It follows Rex’s decision to pull out when the council declared it would pass on the cost of security screening to airlines.
Aviation and travel YouTuber Jeb Brooks tells the Australian Aviation Podcast how he makes a living as a professional frequent flyer.
Bonza currently flies four times per week between Newcastle and its main base on the Sunshine Coast, as well as twice per week between Newcastle and the Whitsundays. The airline, which specialises in “point-to-point” travel between regional destinations, first flew to Newcastle in March.
Australia and New Zealand have signed a $190 million deal with Inmarsat to improve the accuracy of GPS signals to as little as 10 centimetres.
Unveiled as part of the airline’s 2023 Investor Day, the fund will include Qantas’ existing $290 million partnership with Airbus to develop an Australian SAF industry, and will add an extra $110 million for projects such as “high-integrity carbon offsets, offshore SAF investments, and operational efficiency technologies”.
The base, which cost $3.4 million, will include a hangar large enough to house a Leonardo AW139 helicopter, and will be home to the LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS), which is provided by LifeFlight on behalf of Surat Basin Gas companies.
Waters, who does not have an aviation background, will be tasked with taming a dispute with Qantas over moving terminals as well as overseeing a new runway.
Passengers on Wi-Fi-enabled Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 737 flights to and from Singapore, Denpasar, Jakarta, Manila and Port Moresby will be able to access the service while the jet is flying over Australia and within the coverage area of NBN Co’s Sky Muster satellites.
On Tuesday, the Flying Kangaroo said the ultra-long-haul flights, set to begin incrementally from 2025, would help grow its overall international margins from 5 per cent pre-COVID to up to 12 per cent.
The unveiling of Classic Hornet A21-101 at the RAAF Association Aviation Heritage Museum of Western Australia at Bull Creek on 12 April was the culmination of the two-year project by BDA’s Classic Hornet Sustainment Support (CHSS) team.
The Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan EX turboprop aircraft with fixed landing gear has seen operations in all corners of the world.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, CEO Alan Joyce said announcements will be made on the details of Qantas’s support, but affirmed that the Flying Kangaroo will throw its considerable weight behind the Voice.
QantasLink’s 20 717s will gradually be taken out of its fleet in favour of 29 new A220-300s, which have 25 per cent more seats – 137, compared to 110 on the 717 – as well as twice the range and 28 per cent lower fuel burn per seat. The first A220 is expected to arrive later this year.
The Flying Kangaroo's CEO told reporters on Monday that the airline is “reviewing its options” and the purchase would be a positive for the national carrier.
The move, which will take its Boeing fleet to nine, will provide additional competition to Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin, which all fly between the cities daily.
NSW Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee reiterated the findings of an earlier ATSB report, but highlighted that carbon monoxide detection was not undertaken as part of the usual toxicological tests in a post-mortem.
The news comes after Boeing last month told the FAA that a problem with a component on “significant numbers” of its in-production MAXs could lead to delays in deliveries to customers.
WA budget estimates hearings this week heard reports service quality is impacting health care in Esperance, with Nationals MP Peter Rundle saying over a 10-day period in late February and early March, 42 out of 70 Rex flights to Esperance were either cancelled or saw delays of more than 30 minutes.
Michael Jones, who was behind three NASA launches in Australia last year, said there’s “a lot of complexity that doesn’t appear to be there” and hinted traditional vertical blast-offs are more successful.
Under the deal, Qantas will work with the Palaszczuk government on a Queensland-based SAF supply chain, as well as look at how to make best use of sugarcane and agricultural byproducts to produce fuel and how to develop new feedstocks and processes.
SIA will put on a fifth daily flight to Sydney from December, extend its A380 service to Melbourne for an extra month before adding a fifth daily flight from November, and bring four additional flights per week to Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
Only two flights scheduled to depart Canberra before 9am are believed to have taken off on time – Qantas flight 1513 to Melbourne and FlyPelican flight 312 to Newcastle – with others either cancelled or delayed by up to several hours, according to FlightRadar24 data.
Virgin Orbit’s extraordinary plan to launch rockets from old 747s has ended in failure. But was CEO Dan Hart dogged or deluded for thinking he could make it work? Adam Thorn investigates its demise.
The company has agreed to sell its assets, including its rocket-launching 747, to four winning bidders for just $36 million – barely 1 per cent of Orbit’s valuation in 2021.
VH-XNP (similar aircraft pictured) was en route to Townsville as flight JQ904, having departed Brisbane at 6:46am on 23 May, when it turned around due to the odd smell. The latter was later identified as hydraulic fluid from recent scheduled maintenance on the nine-year-old aircraft.
The fire, likely sparked by a fault in the landing gear electrical system that ignited fuel from the cabin heater supply line, filled the cabin with smoke that caused the pilot to lose control and collide with the ground.
The heads of the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), and the Australian Airports Association (AAA) have written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of this week’s Budget urging the Government not to raise the PMC for five years, having received “informal advice” of plans to increase the fee.
Hudson, currently CFO of Qantas, will receive a base annual salary of $1.6 million when she takes over from Joyce in November, which is $600,000 less than Joyce’s current base salary of $2.2 million. She will be eligible for other compensation including bonuses, which would bring her total pay up to $5.8 million – still well shy of Joyce’s total $8.4 million remuneration.
The two parallel north-south runways were shut down, leaving the east-west runway the only one in operation, after the airport was impacted by strong winds early this morning. The runways were reopened by noon as south-westerly winds eased.
The Sunshine Coast to Tamworth route is the 13th and final to launch from the Sunshine Coast as part of Bonza’s initial network plans. The airline is set to fly twice weekly between the two cities, bringing its total flights from the Sunshine Coast base to 39 per week.
The ruling means the two airlines can no longer jointly tender for mining companies’ contracts and must quickly unwind their current deal.
With the government continuing to emphasise long-range strikes, why, then, has Air Force missed out on a quantum leap in capability? The B-21 Raider.
Airbus Australia Pacific has offered each of the C-130 Hercules maintenance workers a pair of work pants per year to entice them to accept a 2.5 per cent per year wage rise for three years.
This week, Adam, Chris and Jake ask whether the succession plan will work and analyse Joyce’s legacy. Was he the man who saved, or broke, the Flying Kangaroo?
Dubbed tripsim, the product, developed in partnership with eSIM Go, offers bundles for more than 150 countries, with prices varying depending on the destination and data plan size. =
From 1 July, work restrictions for subclass-500 student visa holders – which were suspended in January 2022 to address workforce shortages – will be reintroduced, with the cap increasing from 40 to 48 hours per fortnight. dnata has called on the Government to delay these changes for 18 months, saying they will produce a labour gap equivalent of 150 people.
John-Paul Thorbjornsen flew the seven-seater helicopter home from the UK in a 41-day journey spanning 10,000 nautical miles, making 39 stops across 21 countries along the way. The ACH130AM is a collaboration between Airbus and luxury car company Aston Martin, which contributed to the aircraft’s interior and exterior design.
In a press conference welcoming his successor, Qantas CFO Vanessa Hudson, Joyce said that COVID-19 had left Qantas 11 weeks from complete collapse in 2020 and that, now the crisis has passed and the Flying Kangaroo has recovered, now is the “logical time” for him to go.
The cause of the crash of the Coulson Aviation-operated 737 air tanker, which occurred during firefighting activities on 6 February, has not yet been identified in the ATSB’s preliminary report. The 737, callsign “Bomber 139”, was making a second drop after releasing three quarters of its retardant tank on the first go-around.
The twice-weekly five-hour flights on Boeing 737 aircraft will operate between Tullamarine and Learmonth Airports from now until October, with a total of more than 18,000 seats to be made available over the tourist season.
The flight on board an Air Force C-130J Hercules, ASY563 (similar aircraft pictured) landed in Cyprus at around 4:20am AEST having departed Port Sudan at around 12:45am AEST, amid what Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC’s AM was a “difficult security situation” in Sudan.
Qantas CFO Vanessa Hudson is stepping up to replace Alan Joyce when the CEO retires in November – here’s what you need to know about the new boss.
NSW ALP Senator Tony Sheldon said the airline's CEO, Alan Joyce, could “give Qantas workers and customers an early Christmas present by resigning today”.
Chairman Richard Goyder said the CEO in waiting has a huge amount of airline experience and is an outstanding leader.
The Flying Kangaroo is investing $1.5 million over five years to attract more female and ATSI students to its Pilot Academy.
The planes are necessary for the Flying Kangaroo to increase capacity and launch new routes in time for the crucial Europe and North American summer season.
RAAF KC-30A multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft were able to use an advanced refuelling boom to connect with the F-15s in flight during day and night over Japan between 29 March and 26 April.
1 Recruit Training Unit (1RTU) will reduce from 11 weeks to nine, while RAAF Officer Training School will go down from 17 to 12 weeks.
Pre-pandemic, China was New Zealand's second-largest international visitor market, with 450,000 visitors in 2019 and one of the most valuable in terms of holiday visitor spend, bringing in $1.5 billion.
The business, based in Victoria, said the certification covers maintenance of civil and defence helicopters alongside customer support, materials services and supply of spare parts.
The mid-market carrier – previously known as Malindo Air – will challenge Oneworld’s Malaysia Airlines, which has its own five-times-a-week service on the same route.
Richard Gardner, 53, died while conducting an aerobatic flight in August 2021, with the remnants of his aircraft eventually scattered over a 2.4km area.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine accused the outgoing CEO of letting down employees and the Australian public with his management and IR style.
RAAF Base Learmonth is one of three ‘bare bases’ used for training exercises and located on the North West Cape peninsula of WA, 30 kilometres south of Exmouth.
Billed as a “vertiport in a box”, the setup is pitched at private building owners as an “affordable, modular, turn-key solution” that can offer utility while the aircraft are still waiting on certification.
The Brisbane-Santo flights, operated on a 144-seater Airbus A320 by Solomon Airlines on behalf of Air Vanuatu, will begin on 1 June and operate once per week on a Thursday.
In a significant intervention, AIPA president Tony Lucas said the airline needs another four 787s on top of the three due to arrive by the winter.
Keven Wilson’s contributions include animals from iconic state destinations such as Ningaloo Reef, the Margaret River Region, the Kimberley and Perth.
The event – curated by Australian Aviation’s sister brand Defence Connect – will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel on 3 May and hosted by former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne.
With COVID restrictions over and clear skies across many states, Australians were treated to one of the best displays in years.
The surprising decision comes despite Defence Minister Richard Marles previously saying that purchasing the B-21 was “being examined” and US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall suggesting his country would be “willing to talk” about a deal.
From 1 May, nine routes served by Saab 340 turboprop aircraft in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland will see reduced services, with four more routes to have timings changed, and the Mildura-Adelaide service to be suspended altogether.
In total, Sydney notched up its strongest post-COVID performance yet with 3,166,000 domestic and international passengers – an 86.7 per cent recovery on March 2019.
The eight-year-old 737-800 (similar aircraft pictured), VH-XZL, departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) as flight QF769 to Perth at 9:52am on Sunday morning, 23 April, but returned to the airport about an hour into the journey after the crew reported the smell of fumes in the cockpit.
Post-COVID, Brisbane didn't have a service to South Korea despite Sydney offering five carriers on the route, including Qantas and Jetstar.
Qantas has begun interviewing executives to replace long-standing CEO Alan Joyce, with a decision expected as early as the end of next month.
The deal between the Sunshine Coast and Coffs Harbour, by far its cheapest-ever, comes despite CEO Tim Jordan previously arguing his airline would avoid “stunt fares” of $29.
Operation Vanuatu Assist saw 600 Defence personnel and aircraft, including Australian Chinooks, help deliver medical supplies, food and shelter.
This week it emerged Melbourne Airport’s decades-talked-about rail link is set to miss its competition date. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today. A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual
The report by the national centre for transport and mobility research iMOVE, working with the University of South Australia, predicts a $460 million net boost to the national economy from the emergency services sector alone, with a net productivity increase of 10 per cent, as well as between $1-8 billion if drones are used in early fire detection.
Wing has officially launched a drone delivery service operating from a shopping centre in Ipswich, Queensland. The company – which is owned by Google parent Alphabet – has partnered with DoorDash to drone-deliver food and other essentials from Mirvac’s Orion Springfield Central shopping centre to surrounding communities.
The competition watchdog today said that allowing the merger to go ahead would likely substantially lessen competition, thus threatening “increased prices and reduced service quality” for resource industry customers in WA and Queensland.
Brisbane airport duty manager Megan Willoughby said she believed the airline’s vaccine mandate didn’t apply to those not currently working, but the Fair Work Commission ruled she was aware of the rules.
The US carrier will hugely expand its Australian and New Zealand operations later this year following its codeshare agreement with Qantas rival Virgin.
The authorisation – the third the ACCC has delivered, renewing previous decisions in 2013 and 2018 – allows the airlines to coordinate on matters such as flight scheduling, sales and marketing, and pricing. Jetstar Japan has also been allowed to coordinate with part owner Japan Air Lines in “certain circumstances”.
The systems allow users to manage and safely support incoming flights when traditional infrastructure does not exist or has been damaged by disaster or warfighting.
The airline’s order of 737 MAX aircraft is under a cloud, with an issue found in aft fuselage sections from troubled Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
Hypersonix has tipped launch provider Rocket Lab USA for the test flight of its mostly 3D-printed DART AE scramjet.
The TWU said it will engage in “crisis talks” with Rivet, which supplies fuel to Qantas as a subcontractor for ExxonMobil at Melbourne Airport.
Originally slated to open in 2029, the rail link – which will connect Melbourne Airport to Sunshine Station via a new stop at Keilor East at a cost of up to $13 billion – will not meet that completion date, Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed in an interview with ABC Radio.
Dovetail, which is owned by Sydney Aviation Holdings – a firm that also owns tourist operator Sydney Seaplanes – is aiming to retrofit electric turbine engines to existing planes such as Rex’s Saab 340 fleet by 2026.
RAAF Base Scherger on Cape York Peninsula will play a central role in the largest Exercise Talisman Sabre ever hosted by Australia, including more than 30,000 personnel – almost double the number of those who attended the event in 2021.
The new service took off for the first time at 4:47pm yesterday as flight QF39, arriving in Jakarta at 8:18pm local time. It will operate three times per week using Airbus A330 aircraft, adding to the national carrier’s existing Sydney-Jakarta flights.
The primary purpose of the 100-day mission is to test the aircraft’s unique “super pressure” technology, but it will also carry a telescope from Princeton University that will image large galaxy clusters.
The Carbonix founder talks to host Adam Thorn about how uncrewed aircraft can change our world.
The airline's private equity owner, 777 Partners, insisted it was always the plan for Rick Howell to leave after overseeing its launch.
A photo taken by aviation photographer Andrew Hunt shows previously scrapped VH-OQF alongside another Super Jumbo once owned by the Flying Kangaroo, certainly VH-OQE.
Contaminated pitot tubes were the likely culprit in an issue with a 737 freighter’s altimeter that forced it to return to Perth in June 2022, the ATSB has said.
The arrival of 50th carrier Vietjet this morning comes months after the airport’ CEO, Geoff Culbert, said international travel was still “lagging behind” and called on airlines to put on more services.
RACQ LifeFlight has won a five-year CASA Part 145 certification for its approved maintenance organisation (AMO), which signifies it is operating to internationally recognised aviation regulations.
The news presents more evidence its unique business model of cutting out capital cities can work, despite its chances being played down by traditional carriers Qantas, Virgin and Rex.
The family of a 12-year-old girl killed in a July 2020 helicopter crash in Broome has called for better oversight and regulation after an ATSB investigation concluded the accident could have been prevented.
The airport, which received $121 million in Federal Government grants to upgrade its airfield and terminals, has enlisted CBA as the sole financier for capital projects not covered by the grants, such as at its Astra Aerolab defence and aerospace precinct.
Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Shaun Sexton, said operational trials and development were an important part of the introduction into service of a modern aircraft like the Poseidon.
The eight-year-old Boeing 737-800 (pictured), registered as VH-MFM, landed at 11:23am this morning as flight ZL-37 from Sydney after smoke was reported from the aft lavatory, according to a spokesperson for the airline.
Billed as the largest industrial project in the airport’s history, the new 26,120 sqm office and warehouse complex will host more than 120 courier franchises.
The F-22 has long been recognised as a symbol of US Air Force superiority, combining stealth, speed, agility and advanced avionics to make it one of the most formidable fighters in the skies.
The miracle crash survivor, bushfire fighter, scourge of authority and ‘founding father’ of Rex died on Easter Sunday aged 95.
The ATSB has launched an investigation into the incident that significantly occurred at 12:17 am on Wednesday morning when the air traffic control tower was closed.
Vietjet joins Bamboo Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar in flying the route and plans to upgrade it to a daily service by December next year.
The Courier-Mail has reported that 22-year-old Rhiley Kuhrt, who was en route with 24-year-old wife Maree to a medical appointment when their Piper Cherokee (similar aircraft pictured) went down in a storm west of Proserpine, Queensland, had completed 30 hours of recreational pilot licence (RPL) training at a local aero club but left before completing the course.
VH-OQL is now flying between Sydney and Hong Kong after it was initially used to mitigate the effects of a strike by refuellers at Melbourne Airport earlier in March.
The Flying Kangaroo's response comes after WA Tourism Minister Roger Cook said the refusal to switch terminals was damaging the state's tourism.
The Flying Kangaroo has expressed confidence that it can avoid a second chaotic Easter holiday period in a row, with extra aircraft and employees waiting on standby to avert disruptions.
The ATC operator expects around 80 new trainees will become operational in the 2024 financial year, and is recruiting a further 140 for 2025, after which it plans to recruit an extra 80-140 trainees per year.
Simon Rossi tells host Adam Thorn how the business is closing in on the holy grail of drone delivery – picking up parcels from any individual business.
The aircraft, from RAAF Bases Edinburgh, Amberley, and Williamtown, cooperated with HMA Ships Hobart and Sydney in the exercise from 17 March to 3 April.
CEO Dan Hart said in a new statement he believed the “cutting-edge technology” created by the business would have “wide appeal to buyers”.
The business’ general manager, Simon Rossi, said the company thinks it could implement the change in Australia by the end of the year, in what would represent a ‘holy grail’ moment for the sector.
The company said it was cleared by CASA to resume operations “some weeks ago” after passing safety assessments and paid tribute to those who lost their lives.
The airline will fly three weekly services on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with flights to Santiago departing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as LA804.
Around 12,000 passengers per day are using the link, which is far shorter than forecasts of 20,000 apparently claimed by Premier Mark McGowan.
An ATSB report on the November 2022 accident near Victoria’s Moorabbin Airport, involving Hughes 269C three-seat light helicopter, was unable to find the cause of the defect.
In a 5,000-word profile and fashion shoot, Jayne Hrdlicka said she had to rebuild “every part” of the business to bring it back to financial health.
The computer glitch affected systems for Jetstar, Rex, Link Airways and Aerlink at the Domestic Terminal, with check-in staff manually processing these bags.
The event, supported by principal partner KBR, is organised by Australian Aviation's sister brand Space Connect. This year's black-tie gala ceremony is on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at the ICC in Sydney.
The business will cease operations “for the feasible future” after failing to secure a rescue deal. It follows its botched launch in the UK earlier this year.
The current tie-up between the two airlines was due to end on 31 March 2023 and was last approved in 2021.
Last year’s April getaway saw the all-time record for delays being broken as the industry buckled under the weight of airlines racing back to pre-COVID passenger numbers but with far fewer staff.
Adam Thorn and Chris Fenton discuss Bonza's chances as the legacy carriers still doubt them.
Bonza’s 737 MAX 8 aircraft VH-UIK, nicknamed “Bazza”, touched down at Sunshine Coast Airport as flight AB1023 at 11:07am local time this morning, having departed Melbourne Tullamarine at 10:01am. Bonza is planning to operate two aircraft from Melbourne flying nine routes, seven of which are unique to the low-cost carrier.
The site in Queensland will transform agricultural by-products, including sugarcane, into up to 100 million litres of SAF per year.
Flight VA83 landed in Denpasar at 10:08pm last night, using a Boeing 737-800, having taken off from the Gold Coast at 6:15pm. Virgin bills it as one of its most anticipated short-haul international services, with daily flights to operate in school holiday periods and four return flights per week during the off-peak.
WA Tourism Minister Roger Cook said Qantas’ slow pace in moving to Terminal 1 is keeping Perth Airport from being the “western gateway to Australia”.
Geoff Culbert suggested the airlines were requesting more take-off slots than they needed and then cancelling them on purpose. It follows both Bonza and Rex complaining that it was difficult for them to get access to the airport.
Flight AB609 from the Sunshine Coast touched down yesterday at 2:55 pm, with the inaugural Newcastle flight using Bonza’s Boeing 737 MAX VH-UIK, nicknamed “Bazza”.
The initiative is part of a partnership between businesses Beca, Copernicus Technology, Aquila Learning, and Catalyst Cloud.
CEO Dan Hart extended stand down for most of the business’s employees but insisted discussions on a potential injection of cash are still ongoing.
The original aircraft was damaged beyond repair while taking off over the Nellis Test and Training Range in Nevada in preparation for the start of Exercise Red Flag 18-1.
The airlifter safely touched down with the samples in special powered cold boxes as they were transferred from Casey Station to Hobart earlier this month.
Nova has made the move from its Mile End site to a centrally located, newly fit-out, open-plan office located at 169 Pirie Street.
The announcement comes after Rex’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, quipped he “can’t imagine” why anyone would fly the airline's upcoming route between Coffs Harbour and the Sunshine Coast.
The long-planned move follows Sydney Airport’s CEO claiming this month that the domestic aviation recovery has been “stagnant” since April last year and appearing to blame airlines for holding back capacity.
More than 1,500 FAAA members voted in favour of the agreement that will only increase work hours from 9.45 to 10 hours – rather than the 12 hours sought by the Flying Kangaroo. Rest periods will also be maintained.
The two-year-old A380, A6-EVS, departed the NSW capital at 10:01 am as flight EK412 and touched down on the South Island at 2:39 pm. It will later continue on to Dubai.
The new A330 service operates four times a week and now travels to the closer Haneda Airport rather than its pre-COVID destination of Narita.
A safety investigation has revealed it took air traffic control 15 minutes to provide a forecast for an alternate airport to land at – a crucial delay that made a diversion impossible.
Starting on 11 May, the Wintjiri Wiru experience – designed by media architecture studio RAMUS – will use more than 1,000 drones to form images in the night sky of the Mala ancestral story, which sits between Kaltukatjara (Docker River) and Uluru.
The E22 Spark aircraft, built by Adelaide-based Bader Aero, is a two-seater with 180m takeoff, a max range of 300+ kilometres, up to 90-minute flight time, and a cruising speed of 110-130 knots.
The arrangement between the two airlines was first agreed upon in 2013, but was due to expire on 31 March 2023. The pair are ultimately seeking to extend it for another five years.
Adam Thorn and Chris Fenton ask whether airlines could be doing more to bring Australia back to pre-pandemic traveller numbers.
The incident at around 9 pm yesterday saw 10 ADF personnel on a routine counter-terrorism training exercise rescued from the water near Jervis Bay, with two sustaining minor injuries.
The team of seven aircraft maintenance apprentices and one warehouse logistician trainee joins a 200-strong Sikorsky Australia workforce as part of the Lockheed Martin company’s formal training program in the Shoalhaven region.
The facility will provide support to the RAAF’s six KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and its fleet of 10 C-27J Spartans.
The first new Virgin flight from Sydney to Apia, VA99, touched down at 4:51am this morning, having departed Sydney at 9:50pm last night using the Boeing 737-800 aircraft VH-YIQ.
Flinders University's Samuel Drake said while there seems to be no immediate threat now, the situation could change without warning.
The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) is one of more than 30 peak bodies that has joined the Regional Australia Institute’s (RAI) National Alliance for Regionalisation, which aims to better position the regions for future growth.
The ATSB said in a report into the incident that cabin altitude had exceeded 9,550 ft and exposure to altitudes within the 11,000 ft to 20,000 ft range can lead to “cognitive impairment”.
The airline called the “multi-million dollar” overhaul the “single biggest investment in Qantas inflight and lounge dining in a decade”.
Deputy chairman John Sharp made the comments as he revealed his airline was reintroducing pork schnitzel to its business offering because it’s the kind of comfort food people love at the pub or RSL.
The crucial review, which was due to be released this month after being pushed back from November last year, will now be handed down on 20 April.
Ten distinctive pink flamingo scooters are free for staff to use as part of a six-month trial since mid-January for the base north-west of Palmerston North.
In a significant intervention, Geoff Culbert appeared to blame airlines for offering fewer seats for sale, alongside higher airfares putting people off booking tickets.
Rex’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, has hinted Bonza’s upcoming ‘point-to-point’ route between Coffs Harbour and the Sunshine Coast won't work because the destinations are too similar.
According to a new report, the business is still “aiming” to secure additional capital this week, though prior investor Boeing is understood not to be involved in rescue talks.
The larger hangar will allow the aeromedical charity to double its current base maintenance capacity and will form the “epicentre” of the organisation’s engineering activities in Queensland.
In its submission to the Government’s aviation White Paper, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) argues that a Canada-style compensation scheme will improve the rights of air passengers.
The revelation came in a note to pilots issued by the business on Thursday, which advised crew members to fly onwards but report the matter to air traffic control.
New data released by the Department of Transport shows little change in the price of business or economy tickets over the last two months, despite the ACCC stating last year it was “expecting” prices to go down.
The Russian Su-27 can be seen repeatedly flying close and dumping fuel on the drone before colliding with it, briefly taking the camera offline. When the feed returns, one of the drone’s propellers has been visibly damaged.
Slated to open in 2028-29, the project will see New Zealand’s largest airport fully integrate a new domestic terminal into its international terminal, as the existing domestic terminal is almost at capacity and no longer fit for purpose.
Hypersonix Launch Systems was selected ahead of 63 entrants by the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for a program testing aircraft that can fly faster than five times the speed of sound.
It follows the company’s inaugural overseas launch failing earlier this year in the UK, and the business reporting an operating loss of $US149 million for the first nine months of 2022.
The “final extension” will alleviate criticism that the decision to cancel credits would see the airline effectively profit from airfares being far higher than pre-pandemic.
The twice-weekly A330 service will operate as VJ83 on Mondays and Fridays, and the airline expects them to bring more than 30,000 Vietnamese visitors to Brisbane in the first year.
Bali is Jetstar’s most popular international destination, with up to 70 return flights per week to seven Australian cities and boosted capacity to Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
Melbourne placed 19th on the overall global rankings, up seven places from last year, as well as taking best airport staff in the region. Last year’s regional winner of both categories, Brisbane, slipped one place to 23rd.
The airport saw a total of 2,312,697 travellers through its terminals during February, roughly double the total from February 2022, including 659,641 international passengers – a growth of almost 350 per cent over the previous year.
US Air Force General James B Hecker revealed that before the incident, the Su-27 dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in what he branded a “reckless” manoeuvre.
Qantas Frequent Flyers were previously restricted to using points on flights to Taipei only when booking with China Airlines.
The organisation behind the event, The AMDA Foundation, said 48,500 people attended its three-day trade exhibition held prior to the site opening to the general public, up 24 per cent on 2019.
The service, flown with 787s, will be the first non-stop air link between Israel and Australia and was originally floated for 2020 before being pushed back due to COVID-19.
Air and travel services provider dnata is opening the first catering facility at Sunshine Coast Airport after signing a multi-year contract with Bonza.
In a significant intervention, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has opened an investigation after it emerged a diversion from Sydney to Newcastle was a result of staffing issues at air traffic control.
Around 25 kilometres of fibre will be laid at the airport and its surrounding business park as part of a new Business Fibre Zone, which will enable data options close to 10Gbps.
The point-to-point flights are the first to connect the Sunshine Coast with the Capricorn Coast and South Great Barrier Reef regions, alleviating the need for a seven-hour car journey along the Bruce Highway or a connection through Brisbane.
The FAA said on Friday that Boeing had sufficiently addressed concerns around a data analysis error relating to the aircraft’s forward pressure bulkhead, which had halted Dreamliner deliveries.
The figures tally with recent comments by Sydney Airport’s CEO, Geoff Culbert, who said Australia’s international recovery is being “frustratingly” held back by a lack of capacity on key overseas routes.
Despite “almost certainly” wearing a helmet and four-point restraints, the pilot of the plane, registered VH-ACQ, lost their life when the AT-400’s fuel tanks ruptured during the accident near Moree, NSW, causing a fatal fire.
The three men – Russian nationals Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko – were convicted at the Hague in November of 298 counts of murder.
The business said the change, along with other improvements to its charging processes, could allow its drones to shift to delivering millions of packages a year.
The aircraft is the ‘sequel’ to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit and is designed to silently strike deep behind enemy lines with its 9,500 km range and advanced stealth capabilities.
In this special interview from the Avalon Airshow, AVM Godfrey tells Adam Thorn how he made the transition from the skies to the stars.
The plane, registered as VH-SIP, began running rough during a post-maintenance check flight at around 300 feet above ground level, before stalling and crashing, killing the pilot.
The federal government said the rules would be abolished from 12.01am on 11 March 2023 and followed no new variants of concern being discovered.
The low-cost carrier, which launched in January, has already announced 27 routes to 17 destinations earmarked in its phase 1 rollout and signalled interest in flights to Sydney.
Noise issues have been a flashpoint at Brisbane Airport since the completion of its new parallel runway in July 2020, which allowed more flight paths to open up, but affected nearby communities in the process.
The new system based on New Zealand Defence Aviation Rules developed from European Military Aviation Requirements, will come into effect from this month.
Airport Council International’s Level 4 Airport Carbon Accreditation signifies the adoption of a long-term strategy for absolute emissions reductions, as well as evidence of meaningful partnerships to reduce partner emissions.
The national carrier flew VH-OQL, fully fuelled, from Sydney to Melbourne on Tuesday to help fill up smaller aircraft. The aircraft has yet to fly a single commercial flight post-COVID.
News briefs from across aviation DEFENCE NEWS The RAAF’s 36 Squadron is using the popular DJI Phantom 4 drone to conduct visual inspections of its C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Using the consumer-level drone, which retails for around $1,100, means 36SQN maintenance personnel can inspect hard-to-access areas of the aircraft, including its 16.8-metre high vertical stabiliser,
The number was up 68 per cent compared to the year prior and well ahead of Jetstar at 544 and Virgin at 359.
The partnership will see Canberra-based Skykraft use its constellation of five satellites, which were launched with SpaceX from Florida in January this year, to collect aircraft movement data and test it against data from Airways New Zealand covering NZ, the South Pacific and Southern Oceans, and the Tasman Sea.
Discount fares dropped by a third in real terms during January after hitting a 15-year high water mark in December 2022, with average revenue per passenger dropping 13 per cent in real terms.
A Virgin Australia flight dispatched, operated, and handled entirely by women has touched down at Brisbane Airport as a symbolic gesture to mark International Women’s Day.
Peter Carter, director of Carter Capner Law, has called for major reforms to Queensland and Commonwealth law in the wake of the tragedy, which claimed four lives and caused three serious injuries.
The direct Auckland flights – the only international service from Sunshine Coast Airport – will start on 25 June and operate three times per week, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, until the end of October.
A preliminary report compiled by the ATSB also details how he “did not recall” hearing a radio call from the second helicopter outlining that he was due to take off.
The Flying Kangaroo said it was putting in place “contingencies” to minimise the disruption to passengers, while the airport added it remained in talks with workers from third-party supplier Rivet.
The Roulettes’ team of six pilots flew in their Pilatus PC-12s, while the Black Eagles’ team of eight pilots took off in their T-50bs at the airshow held in Victoria.
The Northrop, Airbus and RAAF will collaborate to reduce turnaround time and aircraft availability. The agreement was made during the Avalon International Airshow in Victoria this week.
The potential sale would also include 20 AARGM-ER captive air training missiles, AGM-88G AARGM-ER dummy air training missiles, containers, components, support equipment, software, engineering and other logistical support.
The incident, which took place in September, saw the Boeing aircraft’s collision avoidance system become activated before its first officer spotted the Airbus.
As part of the 10-year deal with the ADMA Foundation, the airshow will shift to taking place every two years but will extend from a two to a three-day event.
The Flying Kangaroo made the surprise announcement on Friday alongside unveiling plans to set up a new engineering academy that will train 300 people each year.
German flight crew led an informative tour of the four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft at the expo on 1 March.
The agreement formed part of a wider memorandum of understanding between the two nations that aims to both bring them together and improve PNG’s sovereign aviation capabilities.
Dillon Aero showcased their 7.62mm and new 12.7mm Gatling guns at the airshow held in Melbourne on 1 March.
The organisation's CEO, Clare Pearson, explains why her charity’s flights are so important to families
Defence industry professionals, members of the media, and government representatives were shown a virtual demonstration of the integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) system on 28 February.
The business will be providing two of its products to make up the complete communications solution: its LifeX multimedia communications and collaboration platform, alongside its Onsite messenger and incident management module.
The aircraft is a heavily modified military derivative of Boeing’s 737 aircraft and is designed to track aircraft and ships simultaneously.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy made the announcement on Wednesday at AVALON, which the government said would generate millions of dollars for Australian businesses.
The business said STRIX could be used for a variety of missions, including air-to-ground strike against hostile targets or surveillance.
The airline said the overall deficit included the $23 million impact of 737-backers PAG converting their investment into equity in the company.
An ATSB investigation into the incident, which took place at Coonabarabran in NSW last year, concluded the move was “intentional” despite the pilot not having the correct licence to fly so low.
The single and double-seat variant fighter was displayed beside a KAI Light Armed Helicopter and a FA-50 light combat jet at the event on 28 February.
A restructure of top positions means Cameron Wallace will in July be appointed as the new head of the Flying Kangaroo’s international operation, with current executive Andrew David departing later this year.
This year’s individual categories include those recognising pilots, engineers and executives, as well as groups such as airlines, airports and start-ups.
The incident is eerily similar to an occurrence earlier this month involving a larger Qantas Dreamliner sat at Newcastle Airport.
The new widebodies are already two years late and could be crucial to Qantas both launching new international routes or adding capacity to existing services.
The iconic American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter started compatibility trials aboard the landing helicopter dock ship on 22 February.
The planemaker played down safety concerns on the aircraft currently flying and insisted only “near-term” deliveries would be affected.
Wing Commander Steven Thornton said the “threat replication” at the Nevada Test and Training Range was some of the most advanced in the world.
The CEO of Textron Aviation Defense also discusses his incredible career that saw him fly more than 80 types of aircraft.
The Flying Kangaroo also said on Thursday it would make a number of other changes to its upcoming purchases of new aircraft, including buying five mid-life A319/320 aircraft for FIFO flights in WA.
The business’ chief executive, Alan Joyce, said the cabins were the “most sophisticated and thoughtful design” of any airline.
The widely-expect result comes despite the wider group recording an underlying loss before tax of $1.86 billion in its last full-year results and claiming the pandemic cost its airlines $7 billion in total.
The new dates and frequencies, listed in full in this article, mean the airline will have completed its route rollout in full by 23 May. All services are now on sale to passengers via its app.
The union’s national secretary, Michael Kaine, accused Qantas CEO Alan Joyce of decimating the workforce and leaving the airline’s reputation in “tatters”.
The incident took place in January 2022, and the propeller was eventually found on the beach adjacent to the airport, with the tip of one of the blades separated.
Alexander Robinson explores how Microtau’s ingenious riblet films can extend aircraft ranges and benefit the environment.
Aero Circus recently had the pleasure of meeting not just a person but a whole team that shares our philosophies about the state of pilot training in Australia Jeremy Miller is a career aviation instructor. He has recently moved on from ab initio and general pilot training to specialise in teaching some of the critical
During Private Pilot Licence (PPL) training a pilot will be introduced to the art of navigation. During flight planning, the pilot will obtain wind forecasts and apply these to the route intended to be flown, providing the heading to steer and the expected ground speed for each leg of the flight. But what happens when
The airline’s 737 MAX, VH-UJK, named Sheila, departed at 7:03 am as flight AB631 and landed at 8:45am. It marked the aircraft’s first commercial flight since it arrived from Nadi in December.
A RAAF C-17A Globemaster III is seen here in the valleys of Papua New Guinea where it was conducting simulated airdrops. The six-hour mission took place during Exercise Global Dexterity 22-2 and included one Australian and one US C-17A. The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is a four-engine heavy transport aircraft that can accommodate huge payloads
To Gordon Reid, one of our finest I started our last issue with the sad news that one of Australian Aviation’s greatest contributors, Eric Allen, had died. I’m saddened to tell you we’ve lost another of our greats: Gordon Reid.Gordon created our iconic Traffic column, where he charted the comings and goings of aircraft in
Key aircraft movements from across the region Santa drops A321neos to Jetstar Jetstar welcomed two new A321neo long-range aircraft to its fleet at Melbourne Airport on Christmas Day. VH-OFP and VH-OFQ were ferried from Airbus’s Hamburg factory on 23 December, making stops in Bengaluru and Perth before touching down at Jetstar HQ on 25 December.
As far as starts go, it’s hard to imagine how things could have been much worse for the F/A-18F Super Hornet before it entered the RAAF’s fleet. Previous defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon was certainly not a fan. “I have made it clear,” he thumped in 2008, “that in the end, if the advice comes to
The eight aircraft – KAI T-50B Golden Eagles – made their impromptu appearance before they perform at Avalon next week.
The airline’s 737 MAX, VH-UIK, named Bazza, departed at 9:55 am as flight AB569 and landed at 1:06 pm. Bonza also confirmed flights from its second base of Melbourne would go on sale later this week.
The high ‘seat utilisation’ is due to pent-up demand from passengers to travel post-COVID, combined with international airlines offering far fewer seats for sale now compared to 2019.
The investment will include creating a new flagship space in London’s Heathrow to coincide with the launch of Project Sunrise.
The new “economy stretch” option will be available on its 777-300s flying from Auckland to Los Angeles from 27 February.
Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam are believed to be consultants of the Philippines geothermal energy company Energy Development Corporation (EDC).
It’s the second of the Flying Kangaroos' widebodies that will be transformed into an A330P2F (passenger to freighter), with the first set to join the dedicated Australia Post freight fleet later this year.
The deal with CPB Contractors will include new and upgraded engineering services, building refurbishment work and additional transit living-in accommodation.
The aircraft, VH-ZNJ, was flying from Santiago to Sydney but had to divert to the northern NSW city to avoid a storm. Newcastle Airport is currently unable to accommodate longer-haul international arrivals.
VH-OQL was previously stationed in the UAE capital, where it was receiving a cabin upgrade, before it flew home on 4 February.
It follows the Hong Kong Free Press reporting in January that airlines are struggling to increase flights due to staff shortages at the airport, and ground handling companies upping fees.
The deployment is part of Operation Argos to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea and deter illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods in the region.
January’s launch was the first outside the company’s home airport in the Mojave Desert, California, and significantly came before it plans a demonstrator launch at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport in 2024.
The Australian government initially announced its intention to sell the aircraft to Air USA – now rebranded as RAVN Aerospace – in March 2020, with initial delivery three or four years from that date.
The union says those coming back would return to lower-paying jobs because they lost out on previous union agreements after having departed.
The Flying Kangaroo was forced to cancel or turn back services on Tuesday after Auckland Airport suspended all operations.
The airline is likely to face criticism for attempting to restart services on Tuesday – before U-turning on the decision later in the day as the weather worsened.
Angela Garvey discusses how a fatal plane crash in her skydiving business acted as a stop moment in her life.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the two companies will execute local demonstrations of the IAI WanderB-VTOL and ThunderB-VTOL systems in front of local authorities and agencies.
The airline is likely to face criticism its original proposal was too ambitious, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins urging Kiwis affected to avoid all non-essential travel and stay at home.
The airline’s 737 MAX, VH-UIK, departed at 11:26 am as flight AB593 and landed at 12:36 pm. It will next begin flights to Avalon on 21 February and Townsville on 22 February
The former KPMG director replaces Graeme Sumner, who left the organisation after five years in the top job in June last year.
Angela Garvey said she hoped Navigating Aviation would help professionals and their family members deal with the unique challenges encountered in aviation.
The airline said the new aircraft would arrive in June and July but was “still deciding” which route they would service.
Kenneth Anning, 84, ignored warnings not to fly in the dark before his Robinson R22 crashed into trees in North Queensland.
In total, the airline said it was forced to cancel 509 services because of the extreme weather, while 10,000 international customers were affected.
The first of five turboprop military transport aircraft set to retire, NZ7003, made its final flight from RNZAF Base Auckland to Base Woodbourne on February 9.
The natural disaster, which peaked at 7.8 on the Richter scale, has already claimed the lives of more than 9,500 people in Türkiye and 3,574 in Syria as of 13 February.
At Auckland Airport on Monday, 94 per cent of departures were cancelled, while Air New Zealand halted much of its network, including all Tasman flights.
Qantas has released a time-lapse video showing how it painted a special Pride Is In The Air livery onto one of its A330s.
The ATSB has urged engineers to check aircraft documents when conducting maintenance after it emerged the engine’s manufacturer, Honeywell, issued a letter that noted similar mix-ups had occurred previously.
The bureau’s report into the September 2021 incident concluded the pilot of the smaller aircraft had mixed up which runway the larger plane would land on.
According to new BITRE data released by the Department of Transport, the ‘best discount’ airfare index raised from 74 in January to 74.7 in February. The traditional ‘restricted economy’ index has also risen from 81.5 to 82.
With 32 years of experience flying Boeing aircraft for Qantas, former head of training and checking Matthew Gray has said that with innovative eye-tracking technology, single-pilot operations are indeed possible.
According to Doug Drury, Professor of Aviation at Central Queensland University, an investigation by TIME magazine analysing 35 years of aviation accident data has found that the middle rear seats of an aircraft are the safest.
Initially, investigators concluded based on the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recordings that “a problem in the engine [was] the reason behind the crash of the aircraft on 15 January in Pokhara.”
The Dubbo Regional Council was quick to release a statement, advising “the community of an incident at Dubbo Regional Airport this morning."
With the additional three aircraft, Qantas’ fleet of Boeing 787-9s will be strengthened to a total of 14 aircraft.
The Australian government has released the terms of reference for its Aviation White Paper, outlining government outcomes that will define the future of aviation in the country. The paper intends to set outcomes and policies that will define the period of technological and industry advancement up to 2050, promoting growth and innovation in the aviation
The aircraft is thought to be the Coulson-operated N619SW, which has been in the state since mid-December after working previously in the US.
Staff at Tullamarine airport have said that the fire started on an equipment truck on the runway. Viewers from inside Terminal 1 watched in alarm as smoke engulfed a Qantas plane.
Following a range of submissions reporting the terrible treatment of passengers with disabilities, the Royal Commission has contacted chief executives for both airports and airlines in writing, demanding improvements be made.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic attack aircraft, designed to jam or destroy military electronic systems — including radars and communications — to curtail enemy operations.
Bonza’s booking app has become the most downloaded on Android mobile phones in another sign the airline’s unique business model is working. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today. A monthly membership
Defence firms were invited to compete with their best drone-destroying technology in real-world environment scenarios at the sandbox event held in Canada.
The three-times-weekly service will use the Flying Kangaroo’s widebody A330s and rival Garuda Indonesia, which currently flies the same route twice a week.
The number of travellers accessing airports right across Australia has continued to see a steady recovery, but what challenges does this pose on the ground?
Australian Aviation photographer Lenn Bayliss was on hand to capture the moment the widebody, VH-VPD, departed Toowoomba.
In a rare opinion piece, Alan Joyce also reveals the Flying Kangaroo is almost back to 100 per cent of pre-COVID domestic capacity.
Australian Aviation is publishing in full this opinion piece by the Flying Kangaroo's chief executive on the airline's recent improved performance.
The incident, which involved 35 people onboard, resulted in no injuries despite a similar balloon collision in the same area killing 13 in 1989.
VH-LQG departed the Queensland capital at 12:39 pm before turning around over Rainbow Beach, 120km from Hervey Bay, to return home.
Tuesday's flight from the Sunshine Coast to Proserpine marked the beginning of the carrier’s Phase 1 rollout. So where is Bonza set to expand to next?
Australian Aviation reported Daniel Croft rides on the airline's very first service from the Sunshine Coast to the Whitsundays.
It significantly comes weeks after Virgin gave its strongest hint yet that it will strive to put the airline back on the ASX soon.
The eight-aircraft ROKAF military jet display team will perform manoeuvres for the general public between 3 to 5 March at Avalon Airport.
A commercial airliner full of passengers, shot down during a regional conflict involving one of the world’s most powerful states, with denials from those responsible swiftly contradicted as evidence leaks out from our increasingly interconnected world. The story of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 is not a new one for aviation. Even more regrettably, it
This annual In-Focus edition examines the work done by those working in emergency services and search and rescue, as well the latest developments for the sector. Firstly, Hannah Dowling investigates the history of the NYPD aviation unit, from the first flight in 1919 – featuring two Curtiss bi-planes – to one of the world’s most
The strong sales come despite Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce publicly doubting whether a 'point to point' airline could work in Australia.
Australian Aviation’s Daniel Croft will be on board the service from the Sunshine Coast to Whitsundays, which will also mark the first time a local carrier has operated the 737 MAX.
International airlines made little effort to increase capacity into Australia in October, with the number of seats for sale still 42 per cent down on the same month pre-COVID.
The airline finally put tickets on sale on Friday and has kept to its promise to keep fares low, with four routes starting from $49.
RNZAF No. 5 Squadron flew in “V’ formation from RNZAF Base Auckland in Whenuapai over the North Island with close formation fly overs to Ohakea, Wellington and Auckland harbours on 24 January.
With snowfall and low temperatures meaning they were not allowed to leave the terminal, passengers on Flight JQ16 were forced to rough it in the waiting room of Kansai International Airport, Osaka.
The fifth-generation fighter jet flew from Circular Quay in the city up to North Head in Manly as onlookers gathered by the water.
The contract with Marand is the latest purchase order between the two longstanding partners and will be delivered from the company’s Bankstown facility.
The RAAF will be out in force on Thursday to celebrate Australia Day around the country. All the details are here.
The acclaimed aviation writer tells host Adam Thorn how the Boeing Jumbo Jet changed aviation and Australia.
Hawk two-seater jet aircraft prepare student pilots to master the controls of combat aircraft and progress towards fast attack aircraft such as the Super Hornet, Growler and F-35.
Joining London Heathrow at the top, Sydney Kingsford Smith is now tied as the airport accommodating the most diverse list of A380s, with both hosting Superjumbo’s from five different carriers, according to Cirium.
China Eastern Airlines became the first of the major airlines to return, resuming regular flights from Shanghai on Tuesday.
Red Flag Nellis takes place across more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land, including both desert and mountains.
CEB is set to relaunch the Melbourne to Manila service at the end of March, using the airline’s fleet of Airbus A330’s, which can carry between 436 and 459 passengers per aircraft. The route will operate three times a week.
Capping off a week of mid-air woe is flight QF887, which on its journey from Adelaide to Perth, turned back after 45 minutes in the air.
The UAE based airline will be adding a third daily service from Melbourne to Dubai, stopping at Singapore on March 26, before adding a daily direct flight from Sydney to Dubai on May 1.
Jetstar’s woeful recent performance continued in December, with the airline now being the worst for departure and arrival delays and cancellations.
The positive result for those flying in December appears to have come as a result of airlines continuing to keep capacity, or seats for sale, low and prices high.
Despite travel capacities being reduced, the route is now the fifth busiest in the world, up from sixth last October thanks to a surge over the summer holiday period.
Flight QF102 requested a priority landing back at Nadi airport not long after taking off from Fiji on a trip destined for Sydney, with fumes from the aircraft galley oven cited as the issue.
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Aeromech is the new kid on the block when it comes to the next generation of search and rescue technology. The company has designed a remote-controlled life-saving drone device. I spoke to the founder behind the idea and the company, Joe Bryant, about the development process and the future of the device. This content is
Liam McAneny presents a (brief) guide to some of Australia and New Zealand’s biggest SAR and Emergency Service players. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content and past magazines. MOST POPULAR PRINT + DIGITAL $99.95 FOR 1 YEAR subscribe Australian Aviation quarterly print
The skies above New York City’s boroughs have been patrolled by aerial police units of various sizes and forms for over 100 years. In fact, the first police ‘reserve’ units were stationed in helicopters above Manhattan as early as 1918. In the century since then, the nature and scale of the NYPD’s aerial assets have,
As fire seasons extend into the cooler months on both sides of the planet, Hannah Dowling questions what this means for our history of internationally-pooled resources and shared aircraft.
The business revealed passenger traffic was just 1,937,000 – down 17.5 per cent compared to the same month in 2019.
Taking off at 9:28 am this morning, Qantas flight QF430 turned around after only reaching Bonnie Doon roughly 10 minutes into its flight and landed back at Tullamarine airport at 10:18 am.
The deal with the low-cost carrier means more than 250 new flights are available for booking across 21 routes, including Mumbai and Goa.
According to Cirium aviation, one in three domestic flights is delayed on average, worsening from the one in five flights from previous years.
The Hon Ed Husic, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, announced the release of $44 million worth of grants to assist Aussie companies in pursuing various research projects, with $3 million being contributed to Dovetail Electric Aviation.
It comes despite new Defence Minister Richard Marles raising doubts about the deal last year and stating it would be subject to a review process.
Tim Jordan tells Adam Thorn how the airline navigated the long way to flight clearance.
The ATSB report into the incident in February last year concluded VH-SEH struggled to clear the trees at the end of the runway after taking off in Seaview, Victoria.
The airline began flying between Tokyo-Narita and Perth in 2019, but had to cancel the service due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Flight QF101 took off at roughly 9am from Sydney, and returning at 11am after turning around over the South Pacific Ocean.
The flight, which was carrying 145 passengers from Auckland to Sydney, made a mayday call citing engine failure as the cause when it was just one hour from landing.
With countries like China and Japan opening up their borders once more, and travel numbers reaching pre-pandemic levels, the tourism industry is set to boom.
Current reports cite the cause of Qantas Flight QF144 making the call as an engine malfunction.
The BARS program was created by the Flight Safety Foundation to set a standard for aviation risk in the mining and resources sector.
Love was amongst the 68 passengers and 4 crew members on board a Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara which crashed into a gorge during a landing attempt.
The company confirmed that it is currently running tests using an Airbus A350 fitted with cameras, with technology inspired by the way dragonflies navigate.
As the airline’s current owners, Bain Capital, hinted heavily at putting the airline back on the ASX on Monday, the TWU has called for Virgin's workforce to have their efforts recognized
Bonza CEO Tim Jordan reiterated that he expects prices to be “pretty close” to the estimates given when the business broke cover at the end of 2021.
The additional capacity provided by 777-300ERs means that the airline will return to operating at pre-pandemic levels in the Queensland capital in June.
In a statement released on Monday morning, Bain Capital said it would “seek advice” on a “potential future IPO” but added that no final decision had been made.
Lockheed Martin said the facility would store replenishment spares for the aircraft’s operations in Australia and the broader region.
The UK government department that normally investigates traditional aircraft accidents will work with its US equivalent to investigate why the 747 rocket launch failed.
The Yeti Airlines aircraft was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members when it went down near a hillside in Pokhara.
It comes after the airline received its crucial licence to fly from CASA on Thursday, ending a six-month wait from its original target to begin operations in the middle of last year.
The news will enhance support for the beleaguered aircraft after Labor last year highlighted its inability to land on battlefields as an example of mismanagement of Defence projects.
While the number of seats for sale, or capacity, was down from 6,830,000 to 5,806,000 before and after COVID, the percentage of seats filled, or load factors, remained at a near-record high of 85 per cent.
Everyone's talking about Bonza now it's finally received clearance to launch from CASA. But what's all the fuss about? Australian Aviation presents a bluffer's guide to everything you need to know.
CEO Tim Jordan called the announcement it had gained the crucial Air Operators Certificate a "historic moment for Australian aviation".
New figures released by the Department of Transport suggest airlines are beginning to release more sales tickets to entice passengers to book flights post-Christmas.
Travellers were reportedly given a 90-minute warning of the situation before NZ27 departed Chicago bound for Auckland.
Dallas Hay will remain with the company as an advisor to the board but will be replaced in his current role by Altara Group’s Alistair Dorward.
The route is the Vietnamese budget airline’s first from the Victorian capital and will take capacity to the Southeast Asian country to 150 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
Virgin Orbit’s CEO, Dan Hart, said his team would work “tirelessly” to understand the nature of the fault and make corrections for future attempts.
It comes after Virgin claimed to have hit real profitability for the first time since its damaging ‘capacity wars’ battle with Qantas and following the national carrier itself targeting an underlying profit before tax of up to $1.45 billion for the first half of the current financial year.
The former US marine pilot at the centre of claims military aviators had been training the Chinese has been unfairly singled out for political gain, argued his lawyer on Tuesday.
As part of the agreement, signed off by the US, the country will also procure a tailored sustainment solution, information technology and software support, as well as a training program.
The mission had appeared to go to plan, but an as-yet unexplained problem appears to have occurred after the rocket was dropped from the aircraft.
According to an ASX statement, DroneShield's order requires “relevant export approvals”, with deliveries of the most recent purchase expected to be completed by mid-2023.
It marks the company’s first commercial launch outside its Mojave base in California and comes before it plans to demonstrator launch at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport in 2024.
The mission was in support of an initiative that sees the Australian government work with more than 150 research institutions globally to study the region.
The helicopters are currently en-route from Townsville in the Top End while the Hercules has transported WA emergency services workers to Broome.
The business has been slowly returning its 12 double-deckers to active service, though plans to scrap two permanently.
Commercial pilot and University of Adelaide lecturer Tony Schiemer lists the potential effects of widebody flying.
News outlets are now reporting that a man phoned Narita Airport and claimed to have put 100 kilograms of plastic explosives in the A320’s cargo hold.
It comes despite the wider industry suffering its worst-ever year for performance in 2022, with the all-time record for delays being broken in April, June and July.
The airline was hoping to begin operations in September but is unable to do so until it receives the crucial Air Operators Certificate.
The truck-mounted devices can also be transported by C-17 Globemasters, and have recently proved crucial in turning the tide in the war in Ukraine.
John Orr-Campbell released a statement revealing he was “gutted to the core” to hear about chief pilot Ash Jenkinson’s death.
DroneShield said security personnel used its rifle-like ‘DroneGun Tactical’, which can cause devices in its crosshairs to either land on the spot or return to their designated starting point.
In a strongly worded statement, its director general, Willie Walsh, called the decisions “extremely disappointing” and said the rules would prove ineffective at keeping infections down.
It comes after more than 40 countries, including Germany, Britain and New Zealand, asked the International Civil Aviation Organisation (IATA) to help make single-pilot airliner flights a reality last year.
The Australian federal government is set to face more questions over its decision after New Zealand said arrivals from China presented “minimum public health risk”.
The aircraft, VH-OQJ, departed Sydney via Singapore at 5:54pm on 2 January and was due to arrive in London at 6:15am the next day, local time, before being diverted to the Greek capital.
The federal government made the announcement on Tuesday after strong lobbying from the Australian Airports Association. The exemption covers Hong Kong, Macau and even mainland China.
Jetstar has continued its poor recent run of performance after being ranked the worst airline for cancellations in November. The budget airline was also the least reliable for on-time departures and second lowest ranking for on-time arrivals.
Angus Mitchell said the “remarkable” manoeuvre meant a “far worse situation” was averted, with all of the passengers in the second aircraft escaping with only minor injuries.
In this special Christmas episode, returning host Phil Tarrant and Adam Thorn discuss what went right and wrong for international aviation in 2022.
Peter Dutton said Australia's response was “panicked” and argued Labor was “making it up as they go along”, which had led to “chaos and confusion”.
Ash Jenkinson was also the operator’s head of operations and had more than 16 year’s experience flying helicopters. He performed rescues during last February’s floods in northern NSW.
Skykraft, a Canberra-based space services company, is working with Airservices on the project and hopes to have the first tranche of satellites operational later this year.
Thirteen patients are being assessed at Main Beach following reports two helicopters crashed into each other.
It comes after the federal government performed a U-turn on Monday and said those arriving from China would be required to show proof they didn’t currently have the virus. The decision followed similar moves by countries including the UK, US and Italy.
It comes after it was revealed that there were 340 instances of ‘uncontrolled airspace’ since June last year in areas usually monitored by staff in towers.
Engineers replaced the faulty sensor earlier this week, and the aircraft, VH-OQH, was deemed safe to fly by the airline’s engineers and an Airbus representative.
Daniel Duggan, now an Australian citizen, still has multiple avenues to appeal, including to the Federal and High Courts, and had earlier signalled he would fight the decision.
Sydney Airport's CEO, Geoff Culbert, has argued there is “a lot of work to do” to convince international airlines to rebuild their networks and then to convince tourists to return.
Stephen Byron predicted prices would come down on domestic routes and argued airlines “can’t keep charging double what they used to charge”.
The A380 it dispatched to collect travellers, VH-OQD, departed Azerbaijan at 6:27 am on Christmas Day as flight QF A1D and landed in London at 8:03 am.
Australian Aviation’s Victor Pody was at Melbourne Airport to shoot the two A321 NEOs, VH-OFP and VH-OFQ, which landed within minutes of each other.
The aircraft departed the NSW capital at 11:38am and is estimated to arrive at 7:43pm before it heads onwards to London. Qantas has reassured the more than 300 passengers that they will arrive on the morning of 25 December.
The Flying Kangaroo’s A380, VH-OQH, was en route from Sydney to London via Singapore on Friday when a sensor light alerted pilots to the possibility of smoke in the cargo hold.
Phil Tarrant and Adam Thorn discuss crazy airport delays, record profits and spiralling airfares.
The industry appears to have coped remarkably well so far this week. As of Thursday at 5pm, there had been just nine cancellations in the last 24 hours at Sydney Airport, five at Melbourne and six at Brisbane.
The four-engined Ukrainian aircraft’s livery now carries the message ‘Be Brave Like Okhtyrka’, in honour of the city bombed early in the Russian invasion of the country.
Despite only being released to passengers in September, Top Gun: Maverick was viewed more than 750,000 times.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show there were 430,000 “short-term overseas arrivals” in October 2022, down 80 per cent from the 774,000 in October 2019.
The Flying Kangaroo's ASX performance has been volatile, with prices in July dipping as low as $4.24 as the airline battled bad publicity caused by its worst-ever performance.
Geoff Culbert said that while international travel is “ticking up”, numbers are still “lagging behind pre-COVID levels” due to a lack of capacity.
The findings form part of the ATSB’s preliminary investigation into the incident in August that killed all three onboard, though no definitive conclusion to the accident's cause has yet been reached.
Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie said the proposal, which would cost less than $10 billion and be delivered within four years, would be “transformative” for regional areas.
In this special episode, Defence Connect’s Liam Garman and Australian Aviation’s Adam Thorn discuss the success of the F-35 program and renaming Loyal Wingman.
Australia’s safety investigator discovered the problem after a Virgin aircraft rolled to the right during a flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney in April 2022.
It comes after Australian Aviation earlier reported how Qantas would purchase six more A321s that it will convert into freighters to replace its ageing 737s.
So far, delays and cancellations appear to be just a fraction of what they were earlier this year, with Flightradar reporting good service at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Paul O’Grady hitched the ride while the aircraft was flying in formation alongside Growlers, a KC-30A Tanker and a P-8A Poseidon.
It comes months after it was revealed a wedge-tailed eagle was behind a separate crash that killed a pilot in Sydney in July. The investigation is only at the preliminary stage, with a final report set to be published later.
The managing director of aviation and critical services also discusses the lessons learned from a career as a British Army pilot.
The increase will include 57 additional return services per week on the ‘golden triangle’ of Sydney– Melbourne–Brisbane, and adding seats to transcontinental services to-and-from Perth using the airline’s Airbus A330 fleet.
The airline is likely to face huge criticism if it goes ahead with the decision to allow the credits to expire, given airfares are now at record levels and capacity is still down on pre-pandemic levels.
Boeing has awarded a subcontract to Lufthansa Technik to support the sustainment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) future fleet of four P-8A aircraft.
The investigation was conducted against the backdrop of concerns over increased noise following the construction of Brisbane’s new parallel runway, which was completed in July 2020.
According to new BITRE data released by the Department of Transport, the ‘best discount’ airfare index is at 112 for December despite being at just 48 in April.
The direct flights will allow South Australians to more easily access a convenient travel option to the iconic tourist hotspot.
The airline will be working with Eviation, Beta, VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace on a range of new zero-emission aircraft.
The new route from Cairns will launch on 28 June next year and is predicted to add over 30,000 additional inbound visitors to Cairns every year.
The Kiwi flag carrier’s statement follows similar warnings from Brisbane and Melbourne airports and after Qantas revealed it would substantially increase capacity as it edges back to 2019 performance.
UPRT Australia won the Australian Aviation Award for Flight Training Business of the Year in September and has now been given the nod at the Avalon 2023 Innovation Awards.
Investigators used to the same balloon, tethered to the ground, to test its deflation system that failed, with the original pilot on hand to witness the unique test.
The move is hugely significant given China carried out its own successful test last year of the weapons that are so manoeuvrable in mid-air they can’t be intercepted or detected.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said while the aircraft would come at a “great cost”, it has the advantage of being able to fire cheaper, short-range weapons.
The airline said the arrival of VH-UJK, Sheila, meant it had completed the “family of initial aircraft” to be based in Queensland, with two more 737s set for its second base in Melbourne.
The dispute is between security firm ISS and the United Workers Union, rather than the airports, but will cause major disruption given the union members are necessary to process passengers travelling through terminals.
It’s hoped the aircraft, currently known as “Tempest”, would be ready by 2035 and will, in particular, replace Britain’s fleet of Typhoons.
In a candid new interview, Alan Joyce emphasised that he previously only said he would remain in the role until “at least” the end of next year, and hadn’t decided on an exit date.
In a significant intervention, Alan Joyce used the example of when one of the Flying Kangaroo’s A380 engines exploded mid-air to justify the importance of multiple pilots.
The flag carrier said strong ticket sales and stabilising fuel prices were behind it targeting up to $NZ325m in the six months to 31 December.
The incident occurred during an aerial spraying operation in Clare, SA in 2020, and was blamed on an undetected fatigue crack.
Chief executive Lorie Argus has asked passengers to be “patient and respectful” to newly hired recruits dealing with the Christmas surge.
A spokesman for the business said all operations team members had also been briefed to “remind them” of the high standards expected in the role.
Rescuers found the 12-year-old daughter's body in the plane’s passenger area and wife Misty’s floating 4 kilometres west of Venice’s shore.
The last model to roll off the production line was a 747-8 Freighter variant and marked the 1,574th Jumbo Jet built. Production of the ‘Queen of the Skies’ began in 1967 and spanned a remarkable 54 years.
Qantas and Jetstar ended 2022 with 61 per cent of the domestic market, while Virgin drew 33.6 per cent of all passengers and Rex 5.3 per cent.
RAAF crew trained alongside counterparts from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) last month, engaging in both air and ground-based activities, designed to bolster bilateral defence ties.
The senior VP at ACR Aviation Capacity Resources discusses a career in ATC, its challenges and opportunities.
The Skylark I-LEX drone can beam back high-resolution video in real-time and is designed to be used for “in-theatre” operations by troops on the move.
The British headquartered company’s CEO, Steve Wadey, said the acquisition further strengthens its long-term strategic partnership with the ADF.
The US is set to purchase 100 of the new stealth bomber, but some analysts had previously suggested the country wouldn’t part with the secrets to the aircraft set to be the talisman of the American military.
The event, supported by principal partner KBR, will culminate in a black-tie gala dinner at The Star in Sydney on 17 May and includes more than 22 individual and group categories.
Airfares are currently at record levels due to both high demand and the industry holding resources in reserve to mitigate delays caused by staff shortages.
New BITRE data released by the department of transport showed load factors – or the percentage of available seats occupied – were at 85.7 per cent, virtually equalling the record of 85.8 per cent in July.
Australian Aviation can reveal that hundreds of professionals have now left post-pandemic to work for carriers such as budget airlines Spirit and Breeze, freight operators Kalitta Air and Atlas and regional offshoots such as CommutAir and PSA.
The 747, VH-ZNK, departed the Victorian capital at 2:27 pm as flight QF21 and represents Melbourne’s first non-stop connection to a North American city that’s not on the west coast.
The new federal government recently relisted the $4.1 billion OneSKY program as a “project of concern” amid what it called “significant schedule, technical and cost challenges”. It’s now reported to be delayed by two years and won’t launch until at least 2025.
Qantas and Virgin were involved in a remarkable court battle over Rohrlach’s services last year, after he accepted a senior role at Qantas Frequent Flyer, before ultimately taking the top job at Velocity.
The ground handling firm appeared to confirm the authenticity of the footage that went viral on social media over the weekend, branding the incident “disrespectful” and unacceptable”.
The dramatic ceremony at Palmdale, California, represented the first time the bomber had been seen outside artists’ impressions and the first unveiling of a new US bomber in more than 30 years.
The airline said it would both increase the number of flights on key routes and swap in larger aircraft in order to boost capacity. However, it insisted it will maintain an “operational buffer” to safeguard reliability.
The Australian business said it would use haptic alerts and proximity sensors to stop the vehicles from colliding, and the test flight allowed it to conduct essential safety work.
IPE 22 included a RAAF C-17A Globemaster delivering humanitarian relief supplies to Laos and a C-130J Hercules and crew conducting workshops with the Bangladesh Air Force.
Stephanie Tully is widely regarded as the favourite to lead the whole business group post-Joyce but will face a tricky task in keeping Jetstar competitive with rising fuel prices and the launch of Bonza.
The twice-weekly service will launch on 29 June next year, with the aircraft carrying up to 50,000 customers between the two destinations annually.
It came as two weather fronts made their way to the North Island, causing a tornado to take out powerlines, fences, and lift roofs.
The RAAF has commenced “Operation Christmas Drop”, joining partner nations to deliver 200-kilogram bundles of goodwill to support over 20,000 people in remote communities across the West Pacific.
A pair of C-17A Globemaster IIIs conducted simulated airdrops in the valleys of Papua New Guinea – after taking off from RAAF Base Scherger in far northern Queensland.
In new comments, the union’s national secretary, Michael Kaine, said the new laws were a “lifeline for aviation workers” and the “multiple aviation companies” that engage them.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show there were 370,000 ‘short-term overseas arrivals’ in September 2022, compared to 695,000 in the same month in pre-pandemic 2019.
The three-times-weekly, nine-hour service will depart on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and join the Flying Kangaroo’s seven-times-weekly service to Sydney.
All the best, Eric I am saddened to start this issue with some very bad news. Eric Allen, one of Australian Aviation’s greatest-ever writers, has died. You’ll know him best for his Yesteryear column and, more recently, his fantastic long features charting aviation’s history. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to
The 747 was meant to be finished. But Virgin Orbit’s mind-boggling plan to fix rockets to its wing could not just give the Queen of the Skies a fitting send-off but change the space business. The company’s CEO, Dan Hart, tells Adam Thorn how he did it. Ask Dan Hart how he caught the
Australian Aviation Awards winner Little Wings has transformed healthcare of sick children in regional areas by flying them into town for treatment. Casey Martin speaks to its CEO, and those it helps, to tell its story.
Warbirds, classic aircraft, museum, and airshow news After three decades up in the rafters, the iconic PBY Catalina A24-385 flying boat ‘Frigate Bird II’ has been lowered down to eye level at the Ultimo Powerhouse Museum. The move was made on 6 October, to celebrate a brand-new exhibition honouring the aircraft. Frigate Bird II
Key aircraft movements from across the region. This issue, we detail the new Bonza MAX and first Australian Triton.
This issue, numbers debut and Tony Arbon unpacks a PC-7 that flew for the South African Air Force.
RAAF Base Edinburgh is currently home to Australia’s P-8A Poseidons but will soon welcome MQ-4C Tritons and MC-55A Peregrines.
It comes despite jet fuel prices in the APAC region going down by 6.5 per cent week on week and prices globally stabilising following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The outlay will also include developing 190 hectares of its land holdings, which it said would help it “diversify” its business.
The news comes days after Qantas upgraded its half-year profit forecast by an extra $150 million and suggests the entire domestic sector is benefitting from strong consumer demand.
The high figures are largely a result of airlines being slow to return in numbers to Australia, with capacity – or seats for sale – down 45 per cent on pre-pandemic levels.
The force added that in the last year, there were 50 ‘intoxication’ incidents and 10 assaults at Gold Coast Airport alone.
The FAAA’s action could include strikes for up to 24 hours, overtime bans, and a “withdrawal from boarding responsibilities”, which could include staff remaining on the aircraft as passengers walk on the plane.
Petty Officer Jean Metcalf was unable to attend the funeral due to COVID restrictions but flew over the Strait of Malacca to make the poignant gesture.
An ATSB report has revealed how the pilot of a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger involved in a fatal crash caused by flying in bad weather initially landed – before taking off again.
It comes despite Qantas being ranked as the worst airline for cancellations earlier this year. However, this week it bounced back to become the top-performing carrier.
In a surprise statement, the Flying Kangaroo said on Wednesday that limits on international capacity were driving consumers to instead holiday in Australia, allowing it to raise its forecasts again.
Brenton Cox tells host Adam Thorn how his organisation coped during those tough COVID-19 days and discusses what lessons we must learn for future pandemics.
Brisbane Airport has revealed the busiest times at its domestic terminal will likely be at 100% of 2019 passengers during the holidays, with other major airports almost certain to make similar predictions.
Craig Purry, vice president of Jet Aviation Defence APAC, said its King Air Program was an “exemplar” in showing how commercial support systems can collaborate with Defence.
DroneShield has confirmed it has completed a $3.7 million share placement of 18.5 million fully paid ordinary shares with US technology company Epirus.
Brenton Cox told the Australian Aviation Podcast that it was a “logical fear” for many potential visitors that they could also be detained or deported like the tennis star after arriving in the country.
Jetstar had another month to forget after it was named the worst airline for delays in October and the second worst for cancellations.
Qantas has completed a remarkable comeback to go from being the worst airline in the country for cancellations to being the best. It was also top for avoiding delays.
The training program will see a new intake of pilots will this week undergo the final stages of their training to fly the fifth-gen fighter at RAAF Base Amberley and Rockhampton.
The team also used data from weather radars and satellites to narrow the search down to a six-kilometre “likely fall zone” north of Port Augusta.
The aircraft, VH-OQA, was stored in the Victorville desert boneyard during the pandemic before flying to LAX in September, and now joins VH-OQG in receiving a cabin upgrade in the UAE.
It comes after the Flying Kangaroo moved to outsource ground handling operations at the 10 Australian airports where it was still running them in-house, including Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.
The Dutch court found Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko guilty of murdering the 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile.
Last year alone, 100 current or former RAAF personnel suffered some sort of “suicide-related event” – the highest count of all three services.
The incident killed one man – who has yet to be publicly identified – and saw the five-seat Bell 206 roll before descending and crashing into a riverbank near Maitland.
The ‘graduation’ was marked by flypasts of Pilatus PC-21 and Hawk 127 training aircraft and a parade led by the Western Australian Police Pipe Band on 4 November.
The new data backs up industry-wide figures released by the Department of Transport that suggests Australia’s international recovery is stalling, despite domestic bouncing back to near-normal levels.
The move has the potential to cause significant delays and cancellations for passengers during what is traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year for domestic aviation.
This follows Australia and South Korea’s agreement to increase interoperability between air forces, with both signing a mid-air refuelling agreement earlier in the year.
Prior to entering the US, customers were able to register with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using their ‘biometric information’, which was not shared with the airline.
Hannah Dowling tells host Adam Thorn how and why US airlines are taking Australian pilots in such numbers.
Brenton Cox used his keynote speech at the Australian Airports Association Conference to declare Australia was unique in how it “splintered” and criticised the “local politics of fear”.
Speaking at the annual Sydney Institute dinner, the Defence Minister also said Australia must deploy nuclear-powered submarines and “project force and power”.
The training saw the crew don night vision goggles in an environment that was pitch black with no moon, strong winds and a ship that was pitching and rolling with the waves.
The evidence came at the start of a long-awaited trial in which Qantas has been charged with discriminatory conduct and alleged breaches of workplace health and safety laws.
The news was revealed during the first day of an inquest at the ACT’s coroner’s court that examined how the Army helicopter’s searchlight started the blaze.
In what could be interpreted as a swipe at problems with the Spartan, the department said lessons had been learned from previous major acquisitions.
The deal, first announced in August, includes maritime surveillance and fixed-wing search and rescue alongside its mission aircrew training system.
The airline was hoping to begin operations last month but is unable to do so until it receives the crucial Air Operators Certificate.
The country’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, urged the US and Australia to abandon what it branded an “outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality” and “narrow geopolitical mindset”.
The independent statutory body responsible for advising the government on decisions relating to infrastructure has unveiled newfound criticism of the project, suggesting that it be delayed until passenger demand can justify the cost.
The proxy group ISS has told its members that the CEO's targets aren’t “sufficiently challenging” ahead of a crucial meeting on Friday.
Washington will build dedicated facilities in the NT, including a ‘squadron operations facility’ and parking areas to accommodate the aircraft.
The airline said in a withering response that the third delay would amount to “one of the longest processes for informal clearance in recent times”.
WGCDR Burge, currently of 32 Squardon, achieved the fight flying a hugely diverse range of aircraft including a Pilatus PC-9, Caribou and the King Air B200 and B350.
Akbar Al Baker's broadside included claiming Qantas is “doubling the price of fares to the Australian people” while his airline took on losses to continue to fly during COVID.
The TWU revealed on Sunday morning that 96 per cent of Dnata workers agreed to the move, which will see 350 employees across Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide airports stop working.
Australian Aviation can reveal the business quietly registered its second Boeing narrowbody, VH-UIK, on Friday. The news suggests the airline could start commercial operations soon.
YouTubers posted these incredible videos showing how close the fighter jet came to the city’s buildings. At full speed, the aircraft can reach 2,000 kilometres per hour.
New analysis from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed its numbers tumbled by 14 per cent on 2020 despite North America’s going up by 75 per cent.
The airport’s chief executive, Gert-Jan de Graaff, warned that closing the airport at night would have “significant consequences” and cost up to 9,000 jobs.
More than 20 organisations or individuals took home trophies at the gala dinner, held with the support of principal partner UNSW Sydney and its School of Aviation.
Under the agreement, the chief executive officer of TAE, Andrew Sanderson, will be appointed CEO of ASDAM and join the board. ASDAM also confirmed the earlier announced acquisition of RUAG Australia.
Currently, international passengers are bound by the rules set by the country they are flying into. It means those flying from Sydney to London aren’t mandated to wear a face covering, but passengers coming the other way do.
Captain Ian McBeth’s widow said, "Those in the best position to determine if it was safe to send the plane up have let all of our families down and have a lot to answer for.”
New analysis from the sector’s professional body also revealed that total vacancies are now at the highest levels in a decade.
The airline’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, said it would also allow the airline to meet the increasing demand for its services given the “shocking reliability of both Qantas and Virgin”.
Air Marshal Robert Chipman attended the service in PNG to remember the demise of A4-233, which was carrying school-aged cadets alongside three RAAF aviators and one Army liaison officer.
The 2022 race — which did not go ahead in 2021 due to COVID — sees 100 competitors fly a total of 3,800 kilometres across three different states.
Adam Thorn interviews Dr Fabian Zander, who discusses why this new generation of Mach 5 technology is so different to what came before.
The group, which also included TAFE students and airport ambassadors, undertook “operational scenarios” ahead of its formal opening for domestic services next week.
The business’ global CEO, Wayne Coulson, also told Australian Aviation the loss of Captain Ian McBeth, first officer Paul Hudson and flight engineer Rick DeMorgan is still “deeply felt” by the organisation.
The move significantly comes after Qantas outsourced 2,000 in-house ground handling roles to third-party companies, including Dnata and Swissport.
It comes after Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday cast doubt on the deal, arguing the “fuzzy commitment” made by his predecessor Peter Dutton would be subject to a review process.
An ATSB report into the deaths of three American firefighters who died tackling the Black Summer blazes has highlighted the inadequate risk planning of operator Coulson and the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It comes days after US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall surprisingly hinted his country would be willing to sell its most prized in-development aircraft to Australia.
The Defence Minister stated his predecessor Peter Dutton’s announcement last year that the Army would buy 40 was a “pretty fuzzy commitment”.
The money from the Australian Research Council will be used to develop ‘diagnostic’ instruments that could be placed in the air, on the ground or even on high-flying drones.
Lockheed Hudson The Australian War Memorial calls the Hudson the workhouse of the RAAF — a description that feels right. While the Boomerang and Spitfire captured the country’s imagination during WWII, the Hudson’s can-do attitude made it the more invaluable team player. Simply put, it may be the most versatile aircraft the RAAF has deployed.
More than two years ago, Aero Circus had decided to attend the Brisbane Airshow as an exhibitor. The plan was to promote our then brand-new book, Refine Your Flying Skills. What better way to showcase the book than to physically put it in the hands of potential customers and have a one-on-one discussion about their
A wide range of aircraft types are included in the New Allocations this issue, from airliners and business jets to helicopters and hot air balloons. After a much-publicised announcement that Bonza Aviation was about to join the Australian airline scene, it has received its first brand-new Boeing 737-8 MAX UJT. Built during 2019 and originally
Key aircraft movements from across the region Bidding adieu to a Qantas A380 It’s official — the first of Qantas’ 12 Airbus A380s to be scrapped is VH-OQF. Photos have emerged of the aircraft already having been partially dismantled in the Victorville ‘boneyard’, confirming that OQF is one of the two Qantas superjumbos pegged to
Warbirds, classic aircraft, museum, and airshow news CAC Boomerang A46-54 to fly in Archerfield The first flight of restored CA-12 Boomerang A46-54 remains on the cards in the near future as Greg Batts of Combat Aircraft Constructions continues his restoration efforts on the WWII-era combat monoplane. Batts is completing the project at Archerfield Airport after
The de Havilland DH.86 in Australian operations During the 1980s, this writer had the opportunity to visit John Watkins OBE at his Melbourne home to discuss various aspects of his long and distinguished aviation career in Australia. Watkins’ career culminated in his appointment as Trans-Australia Airlines’ Director of Engineering in 1953, a position held until
Merren McArthur never wanted to work in aviation — but became one of its most revolutionary figures in a generation. Three years after leaving Tigerair, McArthur tells Hannah Dowling how she dragged the industry into the 21st century. Born on the then-sleepy Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Merren McArthur jetted into the big city after she
In January, Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts was promoted from her top job in the RAAF to overseeing a whole new division of the ADF. It marked an extraordinary rise for the young woman from Mount Gambier, who was also one of the RAAF’s first female engineers. Here, she talks to Bella Richards about building a
In June, four B-2 Spirits arrived at RAAF Base Amberley as the US Air Force sent out a message to both allies and enemies in our region. Australian Aviation’s Craig Murray was on the ground to take these incredible photos. The B-2 Spirit is somewhat an oxymoron. Designed for stealth, subterfuge, and covert missions, it
The French Air and Space Force (FASF) aircraft made the 16,000-kilometre journey with the aid of a multi-role tanker transport aircraft.
Turner said this year will only be one of “gradual recovery” as his business announced a $287.2 million loss for the 12 months to 30 June. Full-year revenue, however, more than doubled to $1 billion.
It comes days after it was revealed domestic aviation in July suffered another record month for poor performance, with Qantas alone seeing just 45.3 per cent of flights depart on time.
The Flying Kangaroo currently travels via Singapore to the British capital and will soon fly via Auckland to New York. These could remain even after direct flights from Sydney launch in 2025.
It means the Flying Kangaroo will go head to head with Air New Zealand, which is starting its own 16-hour flight from the North Island on 17 September this year.
Chief executive Alan Joyce said the result takes the before tax impact of COVID on the wider group to $7 billion, but hailed the exceptional speed of the airline's recovery.
The news marks a significant increase from the airline's original intention of having just 58 aircraft when it emerged from administration.
The business’ results for FY22 saw revenue hit $319 million, including COVID grants of $32 million. This was, however, significantly lower than the 87 million in help it received in FY21.
The professional body made the recommendation as part of its new report on the problem, which also suggested a greater emphasis on recognising the benefits of women and migrant engineers.
Sara Hales said electric aircraft would help connect smaller population centres to larger cities, as well as transforming services such as freight, medical delivery and disaster response.
Domestic aviation in July suffered another record month for poor performance, with just 54 per cent of flights departing on time. Cancellations also hit 6.4 per cent, around three times the pre-COVID average.
It builds on previous training activities, including the deployment of B-1 Lancer aircraft from Base Darwin and B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers from Base Amberley.
The long-range Boeing, ZK-OKP, departed the Mojave desert at 1:38pm on 20 August as flight NZ6001 and landed in LA, before continuing on to the North Island, where it touched down at 5:03 am on Tuesday.
In his first public comments since his promotion, Air Marshal Robert Chipman said it would be “business as usual” for Australia’s aircraft in the region.
The incident occurred on Monday morning, and the pilot was taken to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The Flying Kangaroo said only the frequent flyer portion of the site crashed, and it was back up and running by 11:30 am on Monday.
The 71-page investigation, which you can read here, also suggests authorities negotiate with nearby RAAF Base Amberley to share airspace.
The new facilities are adjacent to RAAF Base Williamtown and the aerospace precinct Astra Aerolab.
The YouTube message and email come alongside a range of perks for frequent flyers, including a $50 voucher toward a return flight.
The business said it had reduced wasp “activity” by 64 per cent and argued its “detailed research” was now helping other facilities around the world.
Lessons from one of Australian aviation’s most serious safety incidents appear not to have been learnt after a Singapore A350 came just two minutes from taking off with key speed sensors covered.
New court documents released by the airline claim Michael Fitzgerald indicated he would depart “quietly” if a subsequent deal could be agreed.
The training program will be mostly based in Base Darwin and Tindal and is scheduled to last from 19 August until 8 September.
Australian Aviation’s Craig Murray has been on the ground taking photos since their arrival and has shot the departure of the final four aircraft.
It said the move could “substantially lessen competition” in Queensland and WA regional areas, and also queried how it would affect ‘wet-lease’ agreements with other airlines.
The two injured passengers adopted a deep squat position as the balloon came down 2km south of Lilydale Airport, Victoria.
The event is being organised by the team behind the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California, which attracts three million visitors.
One of Australian Aviation’s most celebrated and influential figures, Peter Lloyd, died on Tuesday aged 101. Here, we publish in full an obituary to his life written by Safeskies Australia.
Lloyd’s extraordinary career saw him become the chairman of Safeskies and work with Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan to free a teenage German flyer held after illegally flying into Moscow.
To mark its participation in Excercise Pitch Black, the German Air Force painted one of its Eurofighters in a special livery that included the Australian and Japanese flags.
The airline said the facility would house eight flight simulators and train 4,5000 new and current pilots – including those set to fly Project Sunrise direct flights from London to Sydney.
Train services will directly connect the airport to two stations in the suburbs of Redcliffe and High Wycombe and are expected to carry 20,000 people a day in its first year of operation.
Alauda Aeronautics has been experimenting with the aircraft for the last 18 months in the SA desert, with tests including a 100km/h drag race.
Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling also discuss the latest stories, including the ongoing talent shortage in the industry and the arrival of B-2s at Base Amberley.
On Monday, the business announced the 100,000-passenger limit will now stretch until 29 October, claiming the cap has already resulted in “fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter waits for bags”.
On Friday, organisers of the revived “Red Bull” Air Race said this year’s comeback event would be scrapped. Malaysia and Indonesia were already pencilled in to hold a leg, with a further race taking place at Lake Macquarie in NSW.
The website forms part of a new ‘Your safety is in your hands’ campaign that encourages aviators to keep up to date with aviation safety developments, refresh their knowledge and invest in their development.
Ali Rachid Ammoun, 63, was reported to have worn a Hawaiian-style shirt to the video proceedings on Monday but did not enter a plea.
The airline said the surprise expansion was due to a huge increase in online shopping, spurred on by the pandemic.
The modifications to the hangar, overseen by Defence industry partners Ventia and McMahons, also included installing “state-of-the-art” LED lighting, stands and aircraft access docking.
'Jarli' was laser-etched onto a sensor co-developed by Western Sydney University and then transported to the ISS via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 CRS-24 Mission.
It follows reports that passengers ran for cover during the “terrifying” incident at the departures terminal on Sunday when the man apparently shot five times at windows. Nobody was injured.
A man fired five shots in the check-in area of Canberra Airport departures on Sunday afternoon before police detained the suspect. Nobody was injured in the incident, and authorities later confirmed the firearm was unloaded at glass rather than passengers in the terminal. An ABC reporter at the airport said the scene was “terrifying” as
The three-week training program in the Northern Territory is conducted at Base Darwin and Tindal, with Base Amberley also included. It will include counterparts from 15 countries.
Engineers across the Qantas Group have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking protected industrial action, including strike action, which could start as early as Monday.
The airline has pledged to increase incentives to boost pilot retention, as well as increase recruitment and training efforts, after a number of its pilots left the airline to pursue roles overseas.
Domestic airfares in Australia spiked dramatically in August amid rising jet fuel costs and widespread inflation.
In an address to the National Press Club, Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian has called for a “reset” of diplomatic relations between Canberra and Beijing.
Meanwhile, domestic passenger figures also jumped 5 per cent to over 1.9 million in July.
The new change will come into effect from 21 August, and apply to all Qantas new and existing bookings that include a domestic connection ahead of an outbound international flight.
Air New Zealand has started reviving the first of its Boeing 777-300s that were placed in storage in the California desert after nearly 700 days, ahead of its planned return to passenger service.
The first scientist to confirm the presence of debris from a spacecraft on a Snowy Mountains farm has said the discovery will likely lead to more fragments being found in Australia.
In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss the latest of Qantas’ woes as staff shortages take their toll.
Virgin Australia is on the lookout for new first officers to crew its growing fleet of Boeing 737s, including the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 10, with the "lowest minimum" flight-hour requirements seen in recent times for narrow-body aircraft.
The UFO-like Spirit can carry nuclear weapons and is thought to be the most expensive aircraft ever made, valued at around $2 billion each.
Bathurst Regional Council has selected Newcastle-based regional carrier FlyPelican to replace Rex Airlines in offering new direct flights between Sydney and Bathurst.
Four Royal Australian Air Force PC-21 aircraft and two JTAC instructors are set to fly across the Tasman to take part in Exercise Raven Kahu — a combined training exercise with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The Transport Workers' Union has shared its concerns over Qantas' recent plan to deploy its senior management staff to the tarmac to assist baggage handlers, citing safety concerns.
It marks a 25-year slash on its previous target, as the industry bands together towards a carbon neutral future by 2050, as announced by the International Air Transport Association in 2021.
Qantas has reportedly called on its upper management and executives to roll up their sleeves and work as baggage handlers under a three-month "contingency program" to battle staff shortages and flight disruption.
An air traffic controller alerted a Qantas pilot to a possible engine fire prior to takeoff on Sunday, after a witness reported seeing "some kind of flame" coming from one of its engines.
Airports and airlines could soon face more disruption after ground services workers from third-party provider Dnata received approval from the Fair Work Commission to hold a protected action ballot.
Adam Thorn speaks to MGD Wealth’s Richard Marsden and Jessica Harris to make sense of our new world.
A Citibank investment advisor has downgraded its assessment of Qantas stocks from 'neutral' to 'sell', as the airline continues to battle scrutiny over poor customer service, increasing flight disruptions, and staff shortages.
A helicopter that crashed with two people onboard in Kosciuszko National Park in April descended quickly while navigating terrain amid poor weather conditions, the ATSB has found.
Emirates announced on Friday that its three lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have now officially reopened for premium passengers.
Virgin Australia, Qantas and Air New Zealand have been named among the global airlines with the current highest cancellation rates, while Singapore Airlines was noted as the carrier with the lowest cancellation figure.
Virgin Australia has reportedly secured a new chief of corporate affairs, over nine months after the previous leader, Moksha Watts, resigned amid an internal review into her workplace behaviour.
The first of Australia’s twelve advanced maritime patrol aircraft is undergoing maintenance work at a newly upgraded hangar at RAAF Base Edinburgh.
Former Chief of Air Force, and later Chief of Defence Force, retired Air Chief Marshall Sir Angus Houston, will lead the largest review of the Australian military in over three decades.
Cathay Pacific's cargo unit has announced the return of its regular Boeing 747 freighter service to Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport after an eight-month hiatus.
Just over 75 per cent of commercial airline pilots reported elevated stress levels during the pandemic and the aftermath, according to a new survey released by the University of South Australia.
It comes weeks after Rex announced it would scoop up Cobham’s FIFO operation for $48 million and expand its services further into Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Rex has announced that its regional revenue and passenger numbers have returned to pre-COVID figures, as it eyes a return to profitability within this financial year.
It comes after the US Air Force ground its F-35s after discovering the problem in April, with the US Navy and Marine Corps shortly following suit.
The new boutique accomodation, said to be Australia's first in-airport hotel, offers rooms available by-the-hour to arriving and departing passengers.
Australia's domestic aviation market continues to struggle under the weight of COVID-related absences and an underlying shortage of trained aviation staff, as flight cancellations crept up again on Monday.
The contract involves upgrading and extending air combat training support at Base Amberley in Queensland through the provision of ground simulator training support.
Bonza has confirmed that its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has landed on the Sunshine Coast on Monday morning, as the budget startup speeds towards its commercial launch in "late" September.
Darwin and Cairns airports have both announced they will see the return of detector dogs in an effort to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to Australia.
Sunshine Coast Airport has unveiled its new logo and corporate branding, to coincide with the delivery of its new tenant Bonza's first aircraft.
Over 2,200 personnel from the Australian Defence Force and US Armed Forces engaged in the three-week-long combined arms littoral combat scenario.
Australian Aviation's Rob Finlayson was at the airport to take photos of the A321 LR – the long-range variant – as it arrive from Hamburg. It's currently registered as VH-OFE.
Bonza looks to be on the brink of launching imminently after its first 737 flew from the US to Hawaii – likely meaning it’s en route to Australia.
The Barriers to the Pipeline report also said the “vast majority” of respondents indicated that the perception of male domination was a significant barrier to entry. It noted references to a “boys club mentality” and the “lack of support from male peers”.
According to Qantas' head chef Neil Perry, the airline is already investigating meat-free menu options, including meat-free burgers, bolognese and schnitzels, which could be available in Qantas lounges and onboard flights by the end of this year.
According to the airline's deputy chairman John Sharp, one of Rex's 34-seat Saab 340s - retrofitted with an electric and hydrogen-powered MagniX engine - will be used to trial the technology on short routes such as Adelaide-Mount Gambier.
A newly-recruited helicopter emergency services officer has told the story of his first winching rescue - on his second day on the job.
Army and Air Force personnel have together tested their multi-domain mobility skills to improve readiness for a warfighting scenario.
Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David has again apologised to customers for flight disruptions and said the airline will slash flight schedules in July and August to avoid similar chaos in the months ahead.
Australian competition watchdog, the ACCC, has given Rex Airlines the green light to proceed with its purchase of Cobham's regional flying unit.
Virgin Australia’s former chief pilot has claimed CEO Jayne Hrdlicka blamed him for cost blowouts and the failure of pilot enterprise agreement negotiations in an ongoing unfair dismissal and bullying claim against the airline.
Boeing Defence Australia has announced it has signed a new component repair framework contract with RUAG Australia, aimed at enhancing Australia’s sovereign aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capability.
It comes days after Qantas announced it would suspend its Melbourne-Wagga Wagga services from 1 August until at least March 2023, and axe its Melbourne-Mount Gambier service entirely from 15 August.
Sydney Airport has ranked in the top 10 worst airports in the world for both flight cancellations and flight delays, as weather and a "technical issue" saw even greater, snaking lines on Monday.
In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and recently-returned Hannah Dowling discuss Hannah’s experiences touring overseas in the post-pandemic world.
Ground crew from aviation services company Dnata have today announced they will file an application to the Fair Work Commission to hold a vote on strike action during ongoing disputes over pay and conditions.
Australia's international aviation sector continues to see signs of improvement after nearly 1.3 million people travelled internationally in May, jumping 85 per cent in just two months since March.
Professor Julie-Ann Tarr from the Queensland University of Technology has called for law reform around personal drone use, due to novel violations and disturbances posed by increasing drone usage.
The aircraft are operating over RAAF Base Curtin in WA as part of Koolendong 22, a combined US-Australian training exercise involving 2,200 military personnel.
Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the ‘biosecurity response zones’ would be set up at airport customs within days, with mats beginning to arrive on Friday.
In a statement released on Thursday, the US’ Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) rubber-stamped the deal, which also includes missiles containers and support equipment alongside technical support and training.
The deal with CEA Technologies forms part of the federal government’s $2.7 billion Joint Air Battle Management System project, intended to improve Australia’s ability to defend itself against aerial attacks.
Rex has announced a new partnership with an Australian company that could see the first Rex Saab operating with a retrofitted electric propulsion system in as little as four years.
Meanwhile, the number of international travellers at Sydney Airport has increased 164 per cent between January and June.
Sydney Flight College has awarded its first Women Pilot Scholarship, in partnership with the Australian Women Pilots’ Association (AWPA), to encourage female participation in aviation.
Pip Spence, the CEO of CASA, talks to the sector after the Rotortech conference on why she wants the organisation to keep up with, and influence, international regulation on eVTOLs.
Australia's airlines recorded their worst-ever month for flight delays and cancellations in June, surpassing the previous record-low result set just two months earlier during the Easter holidays in April.
Those shortlisted will be able to attend a gala awards ceremony on Thursday, 1 September 2022 at The Star, Sydney, which will also provide an opportunity for professionals to network with their peers.
You've got just one day left to enter our inaugural Australian Aviation Awards, with submissions closing on 30 June. Find out more here.
The airline was originally targeting a mid-year launch, but in May hinted that was likely to have slipped back to September. Today’s news seems to confirm the airline’s start date will not slip back any further, or could even come sooner than expected.
Air Canada 787 captain Doug Morris talks to host Adam Thorn about his passion for flying, navigating COVID, and what’s in store for the industry in a post-pandemic world.
The airline said the world-first Skynest “pod” would be available on its eight new 787s that will arrive from 2024, while its current fleet would also be upgraded.
RMIT University physics lecturer Gail Iles examines why we’ll soon have huge demand for weightless “parabolic flights”.
The award is open to any operator of remotely piloted aircraft at any career level and age who has demonstrated a commitment to excelling in the aviation industry and is on a rapid career trajectory.
The safety bureau’s preliminary findings into the incident, which killed a 60-year-old man in Gippsland, east of Melbourne, has found no pre-impact defects with the aircraft’s flight controls or structure.
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are currently working on a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) system, which is designed to destroy missiles when they are in their ‘glide’ phase.
Air Vice-Marshal Robert Chipman will be promoted to Air Marshal and replace the outgoing head of the RAAF, Mel Hupfeld, when he steps down next month.
We urge CEOs, chief financial officers (CFO), chief operating officers, managing directors, executive directors, or those with equivalent titles to submit an entry in the Executive of the Year category at the 2022 Australian Aviation Awards.
The announcement came alongside news many employees would be eligible for a $5,000 bonus following a two-year wage freeze.
It comes after the AIPA voted through a deal on working terms to allow its members to fly the airline’s forthcoming fleet of Airbus A321XLRs. However, the group suggested the yes vote came under the duress of a “looming threat” roles could go elsewhere.
In a previously unthinkable turnaround, the Qantas CEO has said the WA Premier is, “one of, if not the best, politicians easily in the country”.
Pilots’ union AIPA has claimed Qantas threatened to outsource roles if its members didn’t agree to a new enterprise agreement. The deal, which was eventually accepted, was required so that pilots could transition from the airline’s 737s to its upcoming new fleet of Airbus A321XLRs. Qantas strongly denies the accusation. “While it is pleasing to
LMA has won similar awards through its F-35 air combat program, as well as other programs including the C-130J Hercules and the RAAF pilot training.
Evans was seen as a key contender to eventually replace Group CEO Alan Joyce, and the news of his departure comes months after the business hinted Joyce would continue in the role for some time to come.
It comes alongside agreements with other travel agents that the airline believes will double its domestic revenues.
The only person in the hotel room struck sustained “minor injuries” from the “flying glass” before the device came to a rest on the balcony below.
This latest delivery takes the total size of the Australian Army Aviation Command’s CH-47F Chinook medium-lift helicopter fleet to 12.
We spoke to BAE Systems Australia’s Brett Smith about how scoring some of the highest marks in his diploma program led to him being crowned Graduate of the Year last year at the Australian Defence Industry Awards
The 787, VH-ZNF msn 36239, left the WA capital at 10:34pm as flight QF5 and is on course to land on Thursday at 7:24am local time.
Thales and Leonardo’s joint space venture has won an EU contract to improve the accuracy of global navigation systems such as GPS and NASA’s Galileo.
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots said the action would start from Tuesday 28 June and include a ban on loading extra fuel prior to flights and not wearing uniforms.
Hosts Hannah Dowling and Anna Grbas sit down with the former CEO of Tiger, Merren McArthur, to discuss how she navigated her own career progression out of in-house counsel to the C-suite level in the competitive, male-dominated aviation space.
The service is reported to be lined up to fill the void left by South African Airways, which made its staff redundant in April 2020.
RAN Lieutenant Commander Matthew Schroder was on US Navy Exchange when he received a call from the film's casting agent, looking for foreign aviators to fill in as extras in the highly-anticipated movie.
With only one week left until submissions close, we are now urging the aviation industry to hurry and enter the awards by Thursday 30 June 2022 to be recognised for their remarkable achievements.
The airline's CEO claimed the average time to be put through to an operator had dropped to three minutes, which was the best in the business’ history.
The global fight for aviation talent shows no signs of relenting after the airline said it would hold three more open days to recruit cabin crew to be based in Dubai.
The aircraft was first delivered in 1992 but was best known for serving with the legendary 617 Squadron responsible for the ‘Dam Buster’ bombing raids over Germany in 1943.
Australian Aviation recounts some of the ways airports in Australia and around the globe adapted to the new world of COVID over the last two years.
The experiment took advantage of the business jet's 40,000ft flying height to capture images of the 73p/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 comet that were free of atmospheric pollution.
Under the new partnership, Airbus and Qantas will jointly invest in local initiatives to produce SAF in Australia, should they meet "strict" criteria around commercial viability and environmental sustainability.
Joyce argued Australia was “behind the curve” on the rules, which means passengers flying from Sydney to London don’t require face coverings, but those coming the other way do.
Hamad has again been named the world’s best by Skytrax – despite authorities seemingly refusing to compensate Australian women who were the subject of the ordeal in 2020.
It comes figures compiled by IATA show global jet fuel prices have increased 6 per cent in the last month and nearly 130 per cent since one year ago.
Karu Esselle spoke to Australian Aviation about how entrants could write a compelling submission for the event, which takes place on 1 September.
In an interview with The Australian, the CEO hailed the business’ “extraordinary” recovery and hinted it could be relisted on the ASX as soon as next year.
Budget start-up carrier Bonza has unveiled the first look at its uniforms - including shorts, blazers, and sneakers - while also promising to freely welcome uncovered tattoos and gender-diverse expression onboard.
The aircraft has flown to India for a combined India-Australia maritime surveillance exercise in the Indian Ocean, aiming to strengthen operational maritime domain awareness, enhance anti-submarine warfare manoeuvring, and improve interoperability.
The Fair Work Commission on Wednesday approved the Australia Federation of Air Pilots' application to conduct a Protected Industrial Action (PIA) ballot over its ongoing pay dispute with Rex Airlines.
United Airlines will land in Queensland for the first time with the launch of its new direct flights between Brisbane and San Francisco in October.
Experienced pilots and cabin crew from domestic and international airlines are eyeing an opportunity to jump ship and try their hand with start-up budget carrier Bonza, according to its CEO.
Sydney Airport has announced it is on the lookout for thousands of additional workers across multiple facets of its operations, in anticipation of strong travel demand during the July school holidays.
4.5 million people travelled within Australia in April, marking the highest number seen since the beginning of the pandemic, and a figure that has nearly doubled since the Omicron outbreak decimated recovery efforts in February.
Qantas has reclaimed the lion’s share of the domestic passenger market from rival Virgin, however has again failed to clinch its coveted 70 per cent share.
Air New Zealand has appointed Kiri Hannifan as its inaugural chief sustainability officer, the latest in a slew of sustainability-led moves.
The $8.5 billion super fund has set a goal of reaching net zero emissions across its investment portfolio by 2050, beginning with a 24 per cent reduction in emissions by 2025.
Rex Airlines has said it is "beyond belief" that its pilot cohort would refuse its latest pay proposal, saying its offer was "substantially better" than one accepted by the union on behalf of QantasLink pilots in 2021.
Winning bidder XTEK said the parts to be purchased would be held in its state-of-the-art SUAS repair facility in Canberra.
In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling reveal what they know so far about the incident, the aircraft, and the message being sent by China.
The airline's final RJ100, VH-NJE, performed its last passenger flight in Adelaide on Friday evening before being met with a water cannon salute, to mark the end of an era for the regional fly-in-fly-out and charter operator.
Qantas has reinstated its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft on its Melbourne to Los Angeles route, after bringing its fourth A380 out of the Californian desert and returning it to passenger service.
Three of Australia's top four airports saw operating profits in the 2020-21 financial year, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Following news revealed over the weekend that a RAAF Poseidon patrol aircraft was briefly intercepted by a Chinese fighter plane last month, Australian Aviation takes a deep dive into the J-16 fighter jet.
Flight UA60, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, touched down in Melbourne at 8:05am on Saturday morning, after departing San Francisco International Airport 16 hours and 11 minutes earlier.
Business Class passengers aboard the flights to Rome will see an Italian-inspired menu curated by Neil Perry paired with Italian wine varietals - made of Australian grapes.
Four of the best aviation images from the past three months, including a once-in-a-lifetime shot of a F/A-18F Super Hornet flying over a rainbow and the refuelling of a RAAF P-8A Poseidon.
The incident took place over the South China Sea and saw the fighter jet accelerate so close to the Australian aircraft that a “bundle of chaff” was ingested into its engine.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service south eastern section (RFDSSE) has unveiled its first aircraft donning the organisation’s new national livery.
In this cross-posting with The Conversation, The University of Canterbury's Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies Erin Harrington discusses the new Top Gun sequel, and it's goal to live up to the legacy of the original.
Inside the archive #4 The all-metal, single-seat Spitfire – with its iconic, elliptical wing – became a symbol of Allied defiance during the Battle of Britain. Technically though, its success was due to its exceptional manoeuvrability at altitudes above 15,000 feet, allowing it to gain the upper hand against the German’s also-outstanding Messerschmitt BF 109.
In the last issue of Australian Aviation, Aero Circus examined some of the failings of flight training. This time they continue on that theme, and look at one of the most critical skills that a pilot can have in their toolbox Systemic training issues In modern flight training, there is often a gap between theory
Two new glider models, a radial engine Kitfox and a classic 1965 Australian designed ag aircraft are all included in this issue’s New Allocations THE SCHLEICHER AS 33 is a new type of glider to be seen in Australia and no less than three have been registered during the period covered in this issue. The
Key aircraft movements from across the region International Qantas announced on 2 May it would go ahead and purchase the 12 specially adapted A350-1000s necessary to start Project Sunrise direct flights from London and New York to Sydney. To mark the purchase, an Airbus-owned A350, F-WMIL msn 059, travelled from the planemaker’s base in Toulouse
Warbirds, classic aircraft, museum and air show news First up, a team of RAAF reservists completed a seven-month project to restore the exterior of a forgotten Caribou that was left unattended for years. A4-236 will now be placed on display during public open days at Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre (AAHC), before work begins on upgrading
The de Havilland DH.86 in Australian operations The loss of VH-USG was a headache for Qantas as the launch of the new service had been planned for 10 December 1934. The airline had arranged for highly regarded Australian aviator P G Taylor to fly the company’s third DH.86 from England to Australia. However, in the
A new variant of the Grumman G-111T Albatross flying boat will be built in Darwin by Amphibian Aerospace Industries. Its CEO, Dan Webster, tells Hannah Dowling why it makes more sense than you’d think “We are far more aware now of the environmental impact of pushing aside half an island to build an air
Aircraft that can fly in our atmosphere and in orbit have been trialled for years, yet rockets are still used as the go-to vehicle to the stars. Bella Richards looks into the future of spaceplanes, and an Australian company that might just make them a commercial reality “We would fly to space like you fly
Captain Doug Morris has been an Air Canada pilot for 26 years, and currently helms 787s. In this extract from his new book, he spills the trade secrets from a lifetime in long-haul, from radio chatter to toilet splatter, onboard snacks and fuel-tank hacks What is a deadheading crewmember? On your next flight, you may
From a kitchen in Kazakhstan to presenting at one of Australia’s largest aviation conferences, Tim Jordan has already made it known that he is a serious player that is not to be underestimated. Here, Hannah Dowling explores the case for Bonza “There are some wonderful and experienced aviation professionals available out there who are
Virgin stated it is aware of the legal proceedings, however "does not expect any financial consequence to the company from these proceedings", as it was extinguished of any such responsibility during its sale to Bain Capital in November 2020.
A Virgin Australia-branded Boeing 777-300ER widebody jet was ferried from Wellcamp to Brisbane on Thursday, marking the first time the jet has taken to skies in over 19 months.
The newly-upgraded seat provides passengers with more leg room, wider television screens, and a service that would "rival many airlines’ business offering", according to Emirates.
Poor visibility which caused a "wall of cloud" may have contributed to a fatal helicopter accident at Mount Disappointment, north of Melbourne, which killed five people in March.
New figures released on Thursday morning show 374,630 arrivals in March, up just 28 per cent on February this year and far lower than the 1.66 million recorded in March 2019.
A number of Australian businesses have joined the ranks of Greenbird - an industry consortium working to establish advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions, or air taxis, in Australia.
Local cyber company Penten has been tapped by the global defence prime to deliver advanced cyber security capabilities in support of its joint ‘system of systems’ offering for the RAAF.
In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss Qantas’ moves this week, and the possibility of a more sinister story bubbling underneath.
The partnership comes as somewhat of a surprise given Virgin's ongoing partnership with Qatar rival Etihad for global travel via the Middle East, as well as Qatar's membership of the Oneworld Alliance, of which Virgin rival Qantas is also a member.
We’ve been able to get exclusive access to this offer for new members, which includes the opportunity to chat with real fighter pilots while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Its six first-class suites are all complete with a privacy door, separate bed, lounge chair, individual wardrobe and a 32inch inflight entertainment screen, while its 52 business suites feature direct aisle access.
The intervention of Frank Kendall, who leads 700,000 military personnel, will come as a huge endorsement to Australia’s defence industry.
Michael Young has more than 35 years of aviation experience, including senior roles at Jetstar Japan, SaudiGulf Airlines and most recently as the CEO of Tasman Cargo.
The flight test, conducted in April over the course of three weeks, aimed to ensure mechanical compatibility between the aircraft, while also ensuring they can be flown safely in a range of configurations and lighting conditions.
An Airbus A350-1000, sporting Airbus livery alongside the Qantas logo and other poignant decals, landed in Sydney on Monday in support of Qantas' major Project Sunrise announcement.
New Zealand has reopened its international borders to tourists from dozens of visa-waiver countries, in the next major step in the country's gradual reopening plan.
The two airlines have signed a Letter of Intent to enter a 'definitive commercial agreement' which will see reciprocal interline ticketing and baggage across both airlines from the third quarter of 2022.
Qantas revealed on Monday that deliveries of its new A220 fleet are expected to begin as soon as late next year, while its A321XLRs will begin deliveries in late 2024.
The purchase of the aircraft was the last significant hurdle to overcome after the airline in March 2020 agreed to a deal with its pilot's union for its members to fly ultra-long-haul routes.
An Airbus-owned A350-1000 is currently en route from the planemaker’s base in Toulouse to Perth, with reports speculating Qantas will confirm its ‘Project Sunrise’ order on Monday morning.
The aviation safety investigation body noted that the issue was partially impacted by "skill degradation" of pilots, due to reduced flying capacity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this Q&A with multiple law firm specialists, Bella Richards examines the dangers of what might happen when the drone industry skyrockets, and Australia still has not established an insurance policy. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content and past magazines. MOST POPULAR
Bella Richards takes a look into why Australia’s eVTOL market is yet to take off This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content and past magazines. MOST POPULAR PRINT + DIGITAL $99.95 FOR 1 YEAR subscribe Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines Access
Automation and artificial intelligence technologies (AI) have become increasingly ingrained in aviation. However, the industry, and largely society in general, have remained apprehensive about the extent to which a human being can be removed from the equation, while keeping safety standards intact. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation
The year 2021 marked a huge advancement for drone operations and operators. The pandemic opened brand new opportunities for people to train or upskill into drone flying, filling our skies with more remotely piloted aerial systems. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content
The head of Google Wing in Australia, Jesse Suskin, updates us on the company’s progress in Australia
In this special In-Focus edition, we investigate the most significant issues in possibly the most exciting area of aviation. Our cover feature sees us go back to interview the man heading up Google Wing delivery drones in Australia. In the last few months, the business has moved tantalisingly close to the holy grail of being
Shadow minister for transport and infrastructure Catherine King has revealed Labor's plans to instate a permanent forum to monitor aircraft noise levels over Brisbane, and launch a new white paper into Australia's national aviation policy.
Qantas has resumed its Sydney-Wellcamp services after a two-year pause this week, marking its official return to the regional Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport.
The new Air Force Centenary Memorial, based at RAAF Base Williams in Point Cook, Melbourne, was opened on Wednesday, marking the final instalment and formal conclusion of Air Force's Centenary program.
The airline will also soon increase its Sydney service to become daily in light of reduced COVID restrictions across all three countries.
The recovery is likely to substantially improve even more soon with this week’s announcement that New Zealand will relax its international border restrictions to Australians.
The first Pilatus PC-24 bound for Pel-Air under its contract with NSW Ambulance is nearing completion in Switzerland, Australian Aviation can reveal.
The Brisbane-based metropolitan airport, based 11 km from the Brisbane CBD, will help propel Greenbird's goal to see a fully-functioning air taxi system in place in the Queensland capital ahead of the 2023 Brisbane Olympic Games.
Listen to government and opposition decision-makers chart their plans for the defence industry ahead of the federal election.
Australian Aviation summarises the key points from a four-year ATSB investigation into what could have become a serious situation onboard a packed A330.
The ATSB's investigation came after two similar incidents in 1996 involving 757s led to fatal crashes that killed more than 200 people.
The flag carrier and its subsidiary will operate 30 return flights per week across the Tasman on five routes, a major boost from the two previously running, according to the companies.
The airline said there were “more opportunities on the horizon” as international flying starts to increase with the relaxing of COVID border restrictions.
The country will open its borders to vaccinated Australians from 11.59pm on 12 April, and visitors will not need to isolate.