Australian Aviation

RAAF sends planes to evacuate Australians from Gulf As reported in the Australian Financial Review, a “government source” said a C-17A Globemaster and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport have been deployed to the region as part of Operation Beech. It comes as limited commercial flights have recommenc...

Two RAAF aircraft have been sent to the Middle East to prepare to evacuate stranded Australians. #aviation #aerospace
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Qantas most on-time major domestic airline in 2025 QF-designated flights (Qantas and QantasLink) saw 77.9 per cent on-time arrivals and 78.8 per cent on-time departures in 2025, compared to 76 per cent and 77 per cent respectively for VA flights (Virgin Australia and VARA); however, Virgin beat Qanta...

Qantas was the most on-time major domestic airline last year, according to annual data released by BITRE on Friday. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4d4GGOe

Virgin expands program promoting aviation careers to schoolgirls The program, now in its second year, is now offering female high school students in Townsville, Mackay, and Rockhampton the opportunity to tour Virgin’s facilities to encourage future careers in the aviation industry, specifically within engineering ...

Virgin Australia is expanding its student-focused Future Aviators Program to include more girls from Queensland’s regional communities. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4d5RiMN

China Eastern will move to daily year-round Brisbane flights The airline, one of China’s “big four”, will switch permanently from five weekly flights to seven from 15 June, creating an annual capacity of almost 100,000 seats per year between Brisbane and Shanghai. It comes as China Southern prepares to fly twi...

China Eastern Airlines will fly daily year-round from Brisbane starting later this year. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4ucO3t9

Air Tahiti Nui to bring back direct Sydney service Launching on 14 December, the route will see the Qantas codeshare partner fly twice per week return between Sydney and Papeete using its 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, reinstating a service that operated prior to 2009.

Air Tahiti Nui has announced new non-stop flights to Sydney, to commence at the end of the year. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4uhjgLS

CALLOUT: If any of our Australian Aviation community has taken high-res images of the strikes on major Middle East airports over the past week that you'd be happy for us to use, please send them to media@australianaviation.com.au - we'll make sure you are appropriately credited! #aviation #aerospace

Airport infrastructure cash splash could drive up prices: ACCC In its latest Airport Monitoring Report, the consumer and competition watchdog said infrastructure investment at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports had grown by more than 43 per cent in 2024-25 to $1.5 billion in spending on aeronautical ...

Much-needed investment at Australia’s big airports could also result in higher airfares for passengers, the ACCC has warned. #aviation #aerospace
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NZ pledges Hercules aircraft to repatriate citizens from Middle East The NZ government is exploring all options for assisting New Zealanders stranded by the Iran conflict, according to Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins. It comes as the Australian Defence Force has signalled it is also...

The New Zealand government has committed the deployment of two NZDF C-130J Hercules heavy lift aircraft as part of contingency plans to support NZ citizens leaving the Middle East. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/40LBWpi

NSW Minister backs call to send Australian of the Year to space A public and industry-led campaign was launched late last month to implore the Australian government to partner with the European Space Agency in sending ESA-trained astronaut Bennell-Pegg on an ESA mission.

NSW Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong has thrown his support behind a recent public campaign to send Australian of the Year, RAAF group captain and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a space mission. #aerospace
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Finalists revealed for Defence & National Security Workforce Awards 2026 The awards acknowledge excellence across a broad cross-section of the industry, from high-performing technical, operations and communications specialists under 35 to leading reserve support and training development programs making a tangible impact n...

Over 90 finalists have been announced for the 2026 Defence & National Security Workforce Awards, recognising the sector’s top-performing up-and-comers and the groundbreaking workforce programs that have transformed industry. #aviation #aerospace
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Video Podcast: Should airlines say goodbye to Dubai? On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and guest host Bethany Alvaro examine the Iran conflict’s impact on aviation and ask whether Australian airlines and travellers have put too many of their eggs in the Gulf’s basket.

On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and guest host Bethany Alvaro examine the Iran conflict’s impact on aviation and ask whether Australian airlines and travellers have put too many of their eggs in the Gulf’s basket. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4br2Ckr

Qantas keeps it simple with new safety video The four-minute video, which premiered on 28 February, is filmed mostly on board aircraft and focuses more on Qantas’ reputation for safety, with scenes also including an opening sequence on the runway at Western Sydney Airport and shots inside Qanta...

Qantas has debuted a new in-flight safety video that dispenses with the much-maligned exotic destinations and “travelogue” feel of its previous outing. #aviation #aerospace
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Foreign Minister confirms Australians headed home from Middle East The Australian Government has advised that Australians overseas should be prepared for serious travel disruptions in the days ahead due to the conflict. Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the start of some commercial flights and a possible first D...

Australian citizens are officially headed home on flights out of the United Arab Emirates, in the wake of the ongoing clashes between Iranian, Israeli and US military forces in the Middle East. #aviation #aerospace
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South Australia to host major sustainable aviation fuel plant Touted as the first of its kind in Australia, the plant will convert low-carbon methanol from forestry residues and hydrogen into SAF. It comes after HAMR secured funding from Qantas and Airbus for a Victorian project to create the methanol supply.

Low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) firm HAMR Energy will build a $700-800 million sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in South Australia. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4l8oZ2v

Major airlines still lag the nation in gender pay gap Qantas’ average gender pay gap for 2024-25 was 41.7 per cent for total pay, compared to 44.8 per cent at Virgin, with a median gap of 35.7 per cent and 35.34 per cent respectively. Across the whole Australian private sector, women receive on average ...

The gender pay gap at Australia’s major airlines is around double the national average, new data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has found. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4rNuXbu

AirAsia axes Darwin, will boost other Australian services The low-cost airline group will end its flights from the NT capital to Bali and Kuala Lumpur on 28 April citing “commercially unsustainable” passenger numbers, and will instead ramp up flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide.

AirAsia is set to drop its Darwin services and redeploy capacity to grow other Australian routes. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4aLuXCP

Jetstar to fly non-stop from WA to South Island Launching on 27 October and running until March 2027, the route will operate three times per week using A321neo LRs, adding more than 30,000 seats over the summer peak. The news comes after Jetstar last year carried more than 700,000 customers across...

Jetstar is set to launch its longest trans-Tasman service with new seasonal flights from Perth to Christchurch. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4r0Cmmr

Government opens support for Aussies stranded in Middle East Speaking to media on Monday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said around 115,000 Australians are currently in the Middle East region, and that the resumption of commercial flights would be the Government’s preferred method for repatriating them given the...

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has opened registrations for information or assistance to Australians stranded in the UAE and Qatar by airspace closures. #aviation #aerospace
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Blast-off! Aussie hypersonic aircraft achieves first flight Brisbane-based aerospace company Hypersonix Launch Systems confirmed that its DART AE hypersonic test aircraft completed the mission following launch from Wallops Flight Facility in the United States over the weekend.

An Australian-developed hypersonic aircraft has successfully completed its first flight, reaching speeds above Mach 5 and marking a significant milestone for Australia’s emerging hypersonic technology sector. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4qY53QV

Aviation upended as Gulf airspace closures continue amid Iran war Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha – all major hubs for travel between Australia and Europe – remain closed, with both Dubai International and Abu Dhabi airports having sustained damage. Flights from Australia to Europe through the Gulf have been...

Global flight chaos is continuing following the closure of much of the Gulf’s airspace due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/46w0AOi

Qantas’ first international A321XLR route unveiled The next-generation jets, which boast a longer range than the 737-800s they are replacing, are already serving Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and will commence on Brisbane-Perth services in May.

Qantas’ A321XLR fleet is set to go international, with their first overseas route being Brisbane to Manila in October. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4rP0pWL

Air New Zealand hit with $59m first-half loss The airline has been roiled by continued headaches with global engine maintenance delays; a “slower than expected” domestic recovery; and a weak NZ dollar, and says it expects second-half earnings to be “broadly in line with, or modestly below, the f...

Air New Zealand has recorded a NZ$59 million (around AU$50 million) pre-tax loss in the first half of the 2026 financial year, down from a profitable first half of 2025. #aviation #aerospace
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Virgin Australia posts $279m profit in first half since ASX return Australia’s second-largest airline group saw underlying EBIT grow to $490 million, up 11.7 per cent on the first half of 2024-25, though statutory net profit after tax was down 27.9 per cent due to the exhaustion of deferred tax credits accrued throu...

Virgin Australia has handed down a $279 million underlying profit after tax in its first half-yearly results since its IPO last year. #aviation #aerospace
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Lockheed Martin Australia marks milestone C-130J program delivery The aircraft wing flap ship-set is manufactured by Quickstep, a subsidiary company of ASDAM, a leading national manufacturer and provider of defence equipment. The C-130J aircraft are manufactured at Quickstep’s facility in Bankstown Airport and is s...

Lockheed Martin Australia has announced the milestone delivery of the 300th wing flap ship-set for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4qUMlcZ

Link Airways announces new Launceston to Canberra service The new service is set to operate four times a week from 6 May on Link’s Saab 340B aircraft, adding 14,000 seats per year. It will be the first time Link Airways flies directly out of Launceston, connecting over 90,000 people from Tasmania’s second l...

Link Airways has unveiled a new year-round service connecting Launceston to Canberra. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/3OxQEh2

‘Greedy’ Qantas slammed for bumper profits amid layoffs The ASU, which is currently butting heads with the Flying Kangaroo over job cuts at the airline’s Mascot HQ, said it is “disappointed that Qantas has announced further redundancies at the same time they are unveiling a massive $1.46 billion profit”.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) has lambasted Qantas over “greed-driven” profits as head-office staff are laid off. #aviation #aerospace
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Oh, big stretch: Virgin plans pets-in-cabins expansion The airline, which launched the service in October, has said it intends to continue offering the option, with plans to grow it to select flights to and from Adelaide and Launceston. It follows an announcement last month that the trial would be extend...

Virgin Australia will expand its pets-in-cabins service as it prepares to mark its 1,000th pet carried. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4sc5Crx

Qantas half-year profit nears $1.5bn, loyalty overhaul on the way The Flying Kangaroo increased pre-tax profits by $71 million over the same time last year, with statutory profit after tax up $2 million to $925 million for the first half of the 2025-26 financial year. It comes after the airline took delivery of nin...

Qantas Group has delivered a $1.46 billion underlying profit before tax for the half year as it announces major changes to its loyalty program. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/3MP1mPu

Viva Las Qantas: Flying Kangaroo sets its sights on Sin City The national carrier will launch a new seasonal non-stop service between Sydney and Las Vegas in December, operating three times per week on 787-9 Dreamliners until March 2027. It will allow Vegas-bound Australians to skip layovers in cities such as ...

Qantas is set to become the first airline in the world to directly connect Australia with Las Vegas. #aviation #aerospace
https://bit.ly/4aLnHXH

Works begin on Sunshine Station for Melbourne Airport rail The Federal and Victorian Governments have released early designs for the Sunshine “superhub”, which will see a $4.1 billion investment to “untangle the complex rail junction” and create space for the much-delayed new airport rail link, which will jo...

Works have begun to enable Melbourne Airport’s long-awaited rail link, with construction underway to expand the interchange at Sunshine Station. #aviation #aerospace
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