AIPA, the major union representing the Qantas Group pilot cohorts, stated that while a similar incident is unlikely to occur in Australia for several reasons, it highlights the importance of a balanced approach to pilot mental health and wellbeing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that “at least” two Australians were on board flydubai flight FZ103 during an attempted hijacking incident and emergency landing on Wednesday, 30 September.

Organised by the AMDA Foundation, Avalon Airshow is by far Australia’s largest air show and aerospace trade event and is run in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force and Victorian state government. Earlier this year, the 2027 event dates were firmed up, with Avalon due to take off from 23–28 February 2027.

Starting Friday 2 October, Australian Services Union (ASU) members working for Jetstar at major airports will stop carrying out “a range of non-essential duties” including routine passenger announcements and calls, and disruption and cancellation management tasks, over the weekend.

Speaking to media this week at the announcement of preliminary works on the second stage to Keilor East, Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said there have been “complexities that had to be worked through” with regard to building at the airport.

The express “Super Shuttle WSI” electric bus service will link the new airport with Parramatta, Sydney CBD, and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, similarly to Melbourne Airport’s “SkyBus” service. Tickets will be available at kiosks in and around the WSI terminal.

On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake, David and Hannah dig into the details of Vietjet’s first Australian aircraft and ask what the next moves might be for the potential challenger.

Site investigations, procurement and development works on the section, which will include the rail line to the new Keilor East station, will be underway shortly, with community engagement and early designs next year. Major construction will begin in 2028, with trains to run to the station in 2031.

Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia & New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, confirmed to Australian Aviation sister publication Defence Connect that Ukraine had withdrawn its request for the Tiger helicopters earlier this year.

Preliminary reports have been released into the occurrences in July and August which saw aircraft on Sydney’s runways and taxiways come into close proximity, as well as a statistical report into ground-based aircraft conflicts at Australia’s five busiest airports between 2016 and 2026.

The offering, launched last year, will be extended to Cairns services starting 26 October, adding to existing pet-friendly services in Melbourne, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.

Boeing says the fighter will revolutionize advancements in open mission systems architecture, advanced mission systems and operational reach and capacity. F/A-XX is intended to replace the service

VH-8VK “Woolamai Beach” arrived in Brisbane just after 1:20pm on Tuesday following its ferry flight from Melbourne, Florida via Ontario, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The aircraft is Virgin’s 26th 737 MAX 8, and the twelfth to arrive this year.

The Gulf-carrier revealed it will increase to twice-daily flights on all weekdays, raising capacity from 10 flights per week to 14, with 5,000 seats on offer in each direction per week.

Speaking to 2GB ahead of a Sydney Airport working group meeting on Monday, Stephen Beckett, CEO of Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ), said the proposal is being investigated as part of a “resilience plan” at Kingsford Smith.

As part of an ongoing government consultation process regarding the use of low-carbon liquid fuels, including SAF, both major airline groups have proposed the introduction of a green fuel levy that gets added to passenger airfares to recoup the increased costs.

As reported in The Australian, more than 30,000 passengers were impacted by the Virgin disruptions, with over 40 flights cancelled and more than 100 delayed, while Jetstar and Qantas were less heavily affected.

Flight JQ897 from Perth, operated by the A321neo LR VH-OFS, was on approach to Sydney when it encountered turbulence that caused the nose to pitch up; however, according to investigators, the aircraft’s flight envelope protection functioned as designed and the crew responded appropriately.

Under the MoU, Skyryse’s SkyOS will become the preferred aircraft operating system and flight control logic provider to BAE Systems Australia on joint projects.

Up to 50 Work Safety Officers, who are responsible for activities surrounding the airport’s curfew including closing off the airfield and tarmac and escorting contractors and emergency vehicles, will strike from 10pm to 1am until Thursday.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has handed down its final report into the crash of a Robinson R44 II single-engine helicopter, registration VH-TCF, which crashed on 13 March 2026 with a single pilot onboard.

The two-seat Tiger attack helicopter fleet was originally expected to be retired from service in 2027-28; however, the Australian Defence Force

Labor MP and Shadow Minister for Tourism Michael Healy, who served as Minister for Tourism under the former Miles Labor Government, this month said the decision by the carrier to pull out of Cairns “deals a fresh setback to the Far North’s tourism industry”.

The mission forms part of Operation Argos, an ongoing commitment from Australia to help enforce the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) sanctions on North Korean imports and exports.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) notified the Fair Work Commission of a dispute with National Jet Express Pty Ltd (NJE) concerning a clause of its enterprise agreement that covered redeployment and expense obligations.

Concerns have been raised regarding the parts, reportedly including a cockpit canopy and weapons bay door, now being held in the possession of the People’s Republic of China, the main pacing rival for the United States.

Qantas ground staff and Certis security screening staff have both taken industrial action on Thursday, with QGS employees walking off the job for a full 24 hours and Certis staff staging a pair of two-hour walkouts.

The facility is expected to further expand the company’s Australian research and development footprint and reinforce its commitment to South Australia’s rapidly growing defence and technology sector.

VH-T8A, msn 63879 – owned by Vietjet Aviation – has appeared on the CASA register as of 23 September, with a registered operator based in Melbourne under the name “Cherrie Aviation”. CASA data indicates that the aircraft is a 737 MAX 8 manufactured this year.

Formerly operated by Bonza, the route was picked up by Jetstar in December 2024 and currently flies three times per week. It had been slated to end for the season in March next year, but will now be extended to October, adding more than 34,000 seats.

On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David welcome Hannah Dowling back to the show as they discuss the ongoing travails at Australia’s busiest international gateway.

As reported in The Australian, an “enhanced school holiday overtime incentive” will pay ATCs 300 per cent overtime, instead of 190 per cent, for working extra shifts during the September/October break, so long as they also work all of their rostered hours.

Workers will conduct two sets of 2-hour stoppages from 7.30am–9.30am and 6.00pm–8.00pm on Thursday as part of protected industrial action after 99 per cent voted in favour. It comes as Qantas Freight and QantasLink ground handling staff are also planning strike action.

Due to expire in November, the Western Air Services Subsidy has been renewed for another year, enabling cheaper flights by Air Link and FlyPelican to an area covering more than 111,000 square kilometres including Bourke, Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Cobar.

Tickets for the 18-hour flights from Sydney to the Big Apple will go on sale in August next year, following the launch of the inaugural Project Sunrise services from Sydney to London in October 2027. It comes as flight tests continue on the first A350-1000ULR aircraft slated for Project Sunrise.

Members of the Australian Services Union (ASU) who work for the airline began waiving or zeroing out sales-related fees – including excess baggage charges, seat changes, and late fees – at midnight on 23 September, continuing until midnight on 24 September.

According to a report in The Australian, cabin crew at Virgin are calling in sick at higher rates, and increasingly opting not to put their hand up for additional shifts on their off-days, due to being “exhausted and fed up”.

In its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for August 2026, the air navigation service provider said it has “publicly acknowledged workforce resilience challenges that affected air traffic service outcomes in August”.

Building on the existing agreements from 2011, the new deal expands available seats by 5,000 per week for each country’s airlines, and adds new Indonesian destinations including Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Komodo and Likupang.

Operating from RAAF Bases Tindal and Edinburgh and supported by Northrop Grumman Australia, the MQ-4C Triton fleet is now contributing to Australia’s long-range surveillance capability.

According to Maroomba Airlines director Mike Evans, the new partnership will fuel the airline’s capacity for growth, through access to a consistent pipeline of “experienced, highly trained, professional pilots”.

The Flying Kangaroo and a Sydney hotel warn customers not to share payment details following suspicious messages targeting Qantas Hotels customers.

Workers at Qantas Ground Services (QGS) and Australian Air Express (AAE) will walk off the job in Victoria on Wednesday and the rest of the country on Thursday, with the Transport Workers’ Union decrying what it labels as “corporate greed on steroids...

The airport, which is located on Defence-owned land and operates as a shared facility with RAAF Base Wagga, is run by the council as part of a long-standing partnership with Defence.

The route, set to resume next month, will operate three times per week for most of the season, with a fourth flight to be added over the peak between 27 February and 20 March. This will increase available seats by 28 per cent over the previous year.

In data obtained by The Australian under freedom of information laws, Sydney ATCs took an average of 17 days of sick leave in the year ending 30 June, compared to Brisbane at 13.5, Melbourne at 12.8, and Perth at 8.45; across the whole of Airservices...

Progressively replacing diesel vehicles across the airport’s operations, the 25 dual-control airfield apron buses and 25 “Citirider” electric shuttle buses has been supplied by Australian electric vehicle manufacturer Bus & Coach International (BCI).

The FIFO and charter operator has finished both the institutional and retail components of the equity raising after it recorded a $38.2 million underlying pre-tax profit, but a $90 million statutory loss, for the 2025–26 financial year.

US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink made the comments during an Air, Space and Cyber Conference held earlier this week.