According to an article in Australia Aviation, Bill Astling, the CEO of prospective domestic carrier, Koala Airlines, claims to have secured leases for three Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, due for delivery in 2026. This could make for a launch in late 2026. Koala will also need to update its inherited...

I should know better, but each time an airline announces a change to their loyalty scheme, I hope its an improvement. Needless to say, my disappointment continues. Qantas is now reducing the benefits of its Loaylty Bonus to Status Credits. You can no longer opt for the 8,000 frequent flyer...

Australia’s aviation links with China are booming once again. Shenzhen Airlines will become the tenth Chinese carrier to enter the Australian market, with services to Melbourne commencing on 23 December 2025. That makes China one of Australia’s fastest-growing outbound destinations. It also makes it one of its most competitive air...

By the end of 2025, Australian travellers bound for China will have even more choice in airlines, schedules and fares. Shenzhen Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, will become the tenth Chinese carrier to operate flights to the Australian market. It has scheduled three weekly flights between Shenzhen and...

Sydney welcomed Malaysia Airlines’ new Airbus A330neo yesterday (Monday 18 August). This aircraft arrival signals better cabins and more services between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. The new A330neos come with quieter cabins, lower emissions, and 25% better fuel efficiency. The arrival of the first of these jets yesterday heralds the...

Federal Court Judge Michal Lee has today imposed a find of AU$90 million, which is at the upper end of the range open to him. That money is to be paid to the Transport Workers Union, and as further compensation to the affected 1,820 workers sacked in 2020. The findings...

I recently reported on the on-time performance of Australian airlines as monitored by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) for the year up to April 2025. I’ve since read a rather informative article on the Crikey website. The latest ACCC report on domestic aviation handed Qantas a little public...

Alan Joyce, former Qantas CEO, has resurfaced on the national stage with the pre-release of a speech he is due to deliver at the Australian Aviation Summit today, Thursday 14 August around 14:30. In the speech, he champions sustainable fuels and the need for training the new aviation workforce. But...

If you’ve flown anywhere in Australia lately, you’re not imagining things – the planes are still full, and the fares are even fuller. The latest figures compiled by the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) confirm what many travellers already know: demand is back, supply is still catching up, and...

An intense scene unfolded this morning around 6am, Wednesday 13 August at Sydney Airport’s Terminal 2 (T2). A man was arrested adjacent to gate 49, metres away from the busy food court. The man had attempted to grab a firearm from an Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer. The incident briefly...

We live in interesting times. While travel agencies are reporting weaker demand for outbound travel to the USA Qantas is expanding its trans-Pacific capacity. Qantas is restoring daily flights on some USA routes and deploying larger aircraft as it predicts more inbound demand, including for the 2026 FIFA World Cup....

After nearly four years on the market, Apple’s AirTags tracking accessory is expected to get a long-awaited redesign. Although some airlines initially banned the devices, passengers have widely adopted them. After a deep dive into the latest iPhone operating system, iOS 18.6, programmers have found some code hints lurking within...

Emirates is introducing new safety rules that will ban the use of power banks onboard its flights. The ban is from 1 October 2025. The move comes after a surge in lithium battery-related incidents across the aviation industry. From that date, you can still carry a single power bank, provided...

There are obviously some key points and status accumulators in the Australian Public Service. We already know from research done by The Canberra Times that public servants prefer Qantas over Virgin Australia for travel due to their better reward and status benefits. Now, the Finance Department reports anecdotal evidence of...

Sydney Airport is trialling a long-awaited move towards digitising one of the most tedious parts of international travel: the Incoming Passenger Card (IPC). From today, eligible passengers on select Qantas flights from New Zealand can complete their arrival declaration online — no more fumbling for pens mid-flight. It’s a small...