Traffic

Flight IE4710, which also transported cargo, departed Honiara Henderson International Airport at 5:40am, arrived in Sydney at 8:40am, departed an hour and a half later before completing its journey by landing in Brisbane at 11:15am. 

1 May 2020 

The RAAF is celebrating 10 years of service for its six early warning E-7A Wedgetail jets. 

Based on a Boeing 737-700, the E-7A Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar, passive detection surveillance receivers and tactical/strategic voice and data communications systems. 

4 May 2020 

The New Zealand government is to underwrite cargo routes to Australia, the US, Japan and Hong Kong in a bid to kickstart imports and exports. 

Among the first batch of airlines to sign up for the $330 million International Airfreight Capacity agreement are Air New Zealand, China Airlines, Emirates, Freightways Express, Qantas and Tasman Cargo. 

The scheme will initially include 56 weekly flights from the country, posted below, and mirrors a similar scheme launched last week across the Tasman in Australia. 

6 May 2020 

A Singapore Airlines A350-900 passenger jet carrying only cargo departed Adelaide carrying more than 30 tonnes of meat, seafood and mining equipment to the airline’s home city.

The flight, the first of six, is part of a new Australian government initiative to underwrite agriculture and fisheries airfreight routes cut off by the coronavirus crisis. 

The cargo will make its way to Singapore before continuing on to Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Vietnam and the US. On its return, it will bring urgent medical supplies to South Australia. 

6 May 2020 

The aircraft joins six MAX 8s and 13 other narrow-body aircraft currently stored in the NT desert. 

The larger SIA group has grounded 138 out of 147 aircraft around the world, including 19 A380s. The majority of the airline’s fleet is lying low at Singapore’s Changi Airport, including planes from its lowcost subsidiaries SilkAir and Scoot units. 

8 May 2020 

Qantas has announced limited flights to Melbourne from LA and London – opening up a potentially lucrative market for expats to bring their pets back to Australia. 

The Victorian capital is home to the nation’s only pet quarantine centre, with arrivals being forced to land at Melbourne Airport before their cats and dogs are taken directly to Mickleham. 

Previous special Qantas and Virgin Australia flights from the US city landed at Brisbane only. While United does still fly direct from the US to Australia, their flights stop only at Sydney. 

The LA to Melbourne flights are scheduled for 16, 23 and 30 May, and 6 June, while the London to Melbourne journeys will take place on 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 May, and 3 and 5 June. 

11 May 2020 

Auckland Airport will take advantage of the coronavirus downturn by bringing forward a $26 million runway works project, which will now begin in just two weeks.

The method the airport is using to replace the pavement, known as ‘displaced threshold’, would normally require aircraft to reduce their weight, however, this will likely happen naturally due to the reduction in passenger numbers. 

Aircraft will still be able to use the existing runway, but it will be shortened by 1.1 kilometres during the two-month construction period. 

Auckland Airport general manager André Lovatt said, “We’ve experienced a significant reduction in flights and passenger numbers, with aircraft movements currently 90-95 per cent lower than a normal busy day.” 

11 May 2020 

The Qantas Group is set to pause the delivery of three Boeing 787-9s and 18 Airbus A321neos, as it considers what its fleet will look like after the coronavirus pandemic has eased. 

The news comes in addition to the business announcing it was halting the delivery of 12 A350s capable of flying ‘Project Sunrise’ London and New York to Sydney routes. 

12 May 2020 

Etihad Airways is set to restart flights between Melbourne and London from 15 May, and the return leg from 21 May. 

The new routes are available because Abu Dhabi, the airline’s base, is set to open up shortly for connecting flights, having been effectively closed for over a month.

The announcement comes after the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, said the government was to spend an extra $50 million on continuing its network of repatriation flights for another month. 

That includes increasing underwritten London flights to twice weekly, and continuing to offer two flights to Los Angeles. However, services to Hong Kong and Auckland have been discontinued. 

13 May 2020 

Air New Zealand will enable the country’s South Island to transport perishable goods around the world by flying its 787-Dreamliner between Christchurch and Auckland three times a week. 

From Auckland, the freight will then fly onwards to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Narita, Shanghai as well as Australia. 

The aircraft, which will accept passenger bookings, will fly from the South Island to the North on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing Christchurch at 5pm and arriving in Auckland at 6:25pm. 

The scheme will initially include 56 weekly flights from the country and mirrors a similar scheme launched a week earlier across the Tasman in Australia. 

14 May 2020 

Air New Zealand declared on Wednesday night it was ‘warming up’ its engines as it prepared to resume recreational flights today. 

The airline’s Twitter account said, “See you soon New Zealand” as the business issued guidance for passengers flying under lowered ‘Alert Level 2’ restrictions, which are now in effect. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Kiwis could travel around the country and meet friends and family for the first time in weeks. It marks an extraordinarily quick turnaround in the country’s battle against COVID-19, with Australia not set to follow until July. 

Air New Zealand has previously announced it will operate 32 routes during Alert Level 2, with the potential to add more depending on demand. 

14 May 2020 

Emirates has announced plans to restart regular passenger services from its Dubai hub to nine key destinations, including Sydney and Melbourne. In recent weeks, the airline has restricted operations to all cities except London and Frankfurt, which have been flown on a limited basis. 

From 21 May, one-way scheduled services will also be available to Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago and Toronto, as well as the NSW and Victorian capitals. 

Emirates plans to work closely with embassies and consulates to co-ordinate specialised repatriation flights outside of the announced services. The airline plans to operate rescue flights from Dubai to Tokyo Narita, Japan (15 May); Conakry, Guinea (16 May); and Dakar, Senegal (16 May). 

14 May 2020 

Qatar Airways has announced that the airline will commence regular scheduled services to the Queensland capital, with three weekly flights beginning as of 20 May. 

The service will operate an Airbus A350-1000, offering 46 business class seats and 281 seats in economy. 

With the announcement of the Brisbane leg, Qatar Airways will now operate 21 passenger flights per week to Australia from the Qatari capital, Doha: 

• Three flights per week to Brisbane (Airbus A350-1000); 
• Four flights per week to Perth (Airbus A350-1000); 
• Daily flights to Melbourne (Airbus A350-1000); and 
• Daily flights to Sydney (Airbus A350-1000). 

15 May 2020 

Air New Zealand will restart flying to Taupo and Timaru from 8 June, as it slowly expands its network now the country has lowered its coronavirus restrictions. 

Initially the airline will operate three return services a week between Taupo and Auckland on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as three return services per week between Timaru and Wellington on the same days. 

The new routes are in addition to the 32 previously announced during Alert Level 2, with the potential to add more depending on demand. 

19 May 2020 

Air New Zealand will restart its Wellington to Queenstown route on 28 May and add additional flights between Auckland and Queenstown due to strong demand. 

The move comes days after it added Taupo and Timaru to its Alert Level 2 network, and will be seen as an encouraging sign that customers are ready to fly again. 

The airline will operate a daily return service between Wellington and Queenstown between 28 May and 2 June, as well as a daily return service on 5 June and 7 June using its A320. 

From 12 June, it will then operate three return Wellington-Queenstown A320 services a week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

21 May 2020 

Qantas is continuing to prepare for post-pandemic travel by purchasing National Jet Systems and taking 20 Boeing 717 aircraft back in-house. 

The business, run by Cobham, had previously operated the fleet for 15 years on behalf of regional subsidiary QantasLink. 

Chief executive John Gissing said, “The B717s provide us with [the] flexibility to service many segments of the domestic market, including regional routes, fly in fly out operations or more frequencies to capital cities. These are the kind of routes where travel demand is likely to recover first. 

The deal effectively kills the 10-year contract with National Jet Systems signed in 2016, however Cobham will continue to operate four cargo jets on behalf of Qantas freight. 

21 May 2020 

Freight flights will depart from Hobart Airport twice a week from next week, as part of a new government initiative that partially underwrites agriculture and fisheries routes cut off by the coronavirus crisis. 

The cargo will stop at Sydney first, before then travelling to Asia carrying produce such as seafood, fruit and salad. 

Australian Aviation previously reported that 15 airlines have signed up to the $110 million International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM), which will initially focus on key markets of China, Japan, Hong Kong and the UAE.

22 May 2020 

AVALON has now confirmed next year’s postponed air show will take place between Tuesday, 23 November and Sunday, 28 November 2021. 

Chief executive Ian Honnery said the new dates would provide “certainty” for sponsors, exhibitors and participants. 

Australian Aviation previously reported that the ADMA foundation, which organises the event, would shift the event away from its original 23 February launch. It blamed the lengthy logistical lead times and uncertainty about international travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

22 May 2020 

The Airbus A350-1000 landed in Brisbane for the first time on Thursday night as Qatar Airways prepares to launch operations in the city. 

The airline also confirmed that from Monday, 25 May, Australian passengers will be asked to wear mandatory face masks, while cabin crew will wear full “PPE suits”, including safety goggles and gloves. 

Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graff said, “Until now, Brisbane was the only major capital city in Australia without a Qatar Airways service and Queensland the only major state. 

PHOTO: A Pionair BAe 146-300 starts a service the government hopes will salvage Tasmania’s freight operation. (Rob Finlayson)

25 May 2020 

A Piper Comanche completed the first touch and go landing on Brisbane’s new $1.1 billion runway on 23 May. 

The test was one of two flight checks conducted in advance of the first passenger jet landing on Saturday, 12 July. 

The second, overseen by Airservices Australia, tested the approaches from the north and south without touching down. 

27 May 2020 

Air New Zealand has increased its network yet again and will now offer daily returns servicing 11 different routes. 

The flights, which take effect from 8 June, are designed for business travellers to leave regional areas such as Tauranga, Nelson and Dunedin and fly to Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. 

ANZ BUSINESS-TIMED FLIGHT NETWORK 

• Hamilton-Wellington Departs Hamilton 7:30am Departs Wellington 6:05pm 
• Tauranga-Auckland Departs Tauranga 7:00am Departs Auckland 6:15pm 
• Napier-Auckland Departs Napier 7:20am Departs Auckland 3:30pm/6:30pm 
• New Plymouth-Auckland Departs New Plymouth 8:05am Departs Auckland 4:25pm 
• New Plymouth-Wellington Departs New Plymouth 7:30am Departs Wellington 5:00pm 
• Palmerston North-Auckland Departs Palmerston North 7:15am Departs Auckland 4:30pm 
• Nelson-Auckland Departs Nelson 6:30am/8:05am Departs Auckland 3:00pm/5:20pm 
• Nelson-Wellington Departs Nelson 7:05am Departs Wellington 4:30pm/5:50pm 
• Nelson-Christchurch Departs Nelson 7:25am Departs Christchurch 6:15pm 
• Dunedin-Christchurch Departs Dunedin 7:00am Departs Christchurch 5:55pm 
• Invercargill-Christchurch Departs Invercargill 8:45am Departs Christchurch 4:45pm 

27 May 2020 

New Zealand’s biennial Wings Over Wairarapa air show is now confirmed to take place from 26-28 February 2021 at its traditional Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome site. 

It comes after its sister festivals, Wings over Illawarra, was shifted from 2 May to 7 November 2020, and AVALON was moved from 23 February to 23 November 2021. 

Recent Wings Over Wairarapa events have attracted up to 25,000 to the region and next year’s will also run a special STEM aviation and education program. 

27 May 2020 

A new government scheme to underwrite agriculture and fishery cargo previously cut off by the coronavirus crisis began in Hobart. 

Long-time Australian Aviation photographer Rob Finlayson captured the moment the Pionair BAe 146-300 freighter was being loaded up with produce such as seafood, fruit and salad. 

Nationally, 15 airlines have signed up to the $110 million International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM), which will initially focus on key markets of China, Japan, Hong Kong and the UAE. 

The Hobart flights will from now on depart twice a week, heading to Sydney before continuing on to Asia. 

29 May 2020 

The first of a series of repatriation flights bound for Apia, the Samoan capital, has departed Auckland as Air New Zealand works with the national government to repatriate citizens stranded abroad. 

The Airbus A321A aircraft departed Auckland at 9:05am and arrived in Apia at 1:40pm local time. Repatriation flights between the two countries are expected to operate on a once fortnightly basis. 

In accordance with some of the strictest COVID-19 restrictions in the world, all passengers will need to take a test three days before travel, and to carry proof of a negative result. 

On arrival in Samoa, all passengers will be required to enter a 14-day quarantine at locations nominated by the Samoan government. 

1 June 2020 

Construction on the metro rail link between the new Western Sydney International Airport and St Marys station will begin this year. 

The confirmation of the start date came after the federal government announced a $5.25 billion injection into the project, which will also be funded by the state of NSW. 

Minister for Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge, also revealed the line will be six kilometres longer than initially envisaged and will involve putting part of St Marys underground. 

The project was first confirmed last year, but now more concrete details of the plan have emerged. 

The new link will be named the ‘Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport’ line and consist of six metro stations, two of which will be within the airport’s boundaries at the terminal and the business park. 

The project will cost $11 billion in total and it’s hoped will create 14,000 jobs. 

3 June 2020 

Alliance Airlines will fly four times a week from Brisbane to the Whitsundays for the first time since the start of the coronavirus crisis, after negotiating a deal with the state government. 

The flights, which launch at just $99 one way, will go on sale today and launch on 22 June. 

It’s hoped that the move will create more than 85 local jobs and generate more than $9 million in revenue over the next 12 months. 

5 June 2020 

Emirates has announced it will return to Brisbane and Perth and increase services to Sydney and Melbourne from 15 June following the UAE’s announcement that it will lift transit restrictions. 

Emirates has also unveiled regular scheduled services to 14 other cities worldwide. 

These services add to scheduled cargo operations the airline has maintained throughout the crisis, from its hub in Dubai. 

2 June 2020 

Singapore Airlines is set to resume flights to Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane for the first time since the closure of Australian and Singaporean borders. 

The airline will also add additional routes to Sydney as part of its new ‘minimum connectivity network’ that will run from 8 June to 31 July. 

Singapore Airlines’ regional vice president, Philip Goh, said the move was a “small first step” towards international travel, but still warned there is a “long way to go” before the meaningful return of capacity. 

Adelaide will be served once weekly using Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 medium-haul aircraft, with SQ279 departing Singapore on Mondays at 11:40pm and arriving in Adelaide on Tuesday at 7:55am. The return flight, SQ278 will depart Adelaide on Tuesday at 9:10am, arriving in Singapore at 3:10pm. 

Melbourne will be served twice a week with Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 mediumhaul aircraft. SQ237 will depart Singapore on Monday at 11:55pm, arriving in Melbourne at 9:20am Tuesday. The return flight, SQ218, will depart late Tuesday at 11:50pm, arriving in Singapore at 5:45am the next morning. 

Sydney will be served five times weekly with Singapore Airlines A350-900 long-haul aircraft. Three services a week will be direct Singapore-Sydney flights, with SQ231 departing Singapore at 12:45am on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, arriving in Sydney at 10:25am. The return flight, SQ232 will depart Sydney at 12:10pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, arriving in Singapore at 6:40pm. 

The Adelaide, Melbourne and direct Sydney services will commence from Monday, 8 June, however the new twice-weekly Singapore-Sydney-BrisbaneSingapore service will begin once regulatory approval has been received. SQ288 is planned to operate on Tuesday and Friday, with the flight leaving Singapore at 9:35am and arriving in Sydney at 7:15pm, it will then depart Sydney at 8:25pm, arriving in Brisbane at 9:55pm, before departing at 11:00pm and arriving in Singapore the next morning at 5:00am. 

9 June 2020 

Australian Aviation photographer Emil Cooper caught the moment an A340-600 repatriation flight from Johannesburg landed in Brisbane – from 1,400 feet aboard an R44. 

The special flight, SA2982, landed in the Queensland capital on 6 June and is reported to fly the other way on 9 June. 

It will mark one of the final designated repatriation flights as international airlines begin to resume commercial travel. 

10 June 2020 

Air New Zealand will operate one weekly return flight to Tokyo, Narita from 25 June, after previously cancelling the service on 30 March. 

The 787-9 Dreamliner will depart from Auckland at 11:15pm and arrive at Narita at 7:20am the following morning. 

Prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the flag carrier operated 10 services per week on the popular route. 

Only residents are allowed to enter New Zealand and then must complete 14 days in hotel isolation. Similar measures are enforced in reverse. 

11 June 2020 

The Royal Australian Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft have successfully completed 1,000 flying hours at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. 

Australian F-35A pilot Flight Lieutenant Adrian Herenda was in the cockpit of A35-001 as the clock ticked over 1,000 hours. The former F/A-18A pilot has been flying the aircraft for 12 months and said it was a good feeling to be flying the jet when it reached the milestone. 

“The F-35A provides the pilot with phenomenal situational awareness, which is a significant benefit when operating in complex threat environments,” FLTLT Herenda said. 

12 June 2020 

Fijians travelling home on a special Air New Zealand repatriation service face a gruelling month-long isolation when they arrive. 

The 787-9 Dreamliner, NZ952, left Auckland at 11am and landed in Nadi just after 2pm local time. 

However, Fiji has one of the most stringent coronavirus restrictions in the world, with returning citizens asked to stay in a government quarantine facility for 14 days and then to complete a further 14 days in home isolation. 

16 June 2020 

Air New Zealand will operate one return service per week between Auckland and Shanghai for the first time since February. 

Before the pandemic, the airline flew seven times per week to the Chinese city, but it was the very first to be axed as the pandemic spread. 

However, both countries are still enforcing strict border controls that mean only residents can enter before undergoing 14-day quarantine. 

The 787-9 Dreamliner will depart Auckland on Mondays at 11pm from 22 June and arrives at Shanghai at 7:15am. The return departs Shanghai at 2:15pm on Wednesdays from 24 June, arriving in Auckland at 5:45am. 

19 June 2020 

Emirates has now resumed flights from Perth and Brisbane for the first time since March, following the UAE’s decision to lift transit restrictions in Dubai airport. 

Flight EK420 departed Dubai at 3:00am last Thursday, arriving in Perth at 5:50pm. From 18 June, the outbound service EK421 will depart Perth at 10:20pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:20am the following day. 

Perth: From 17 June, the inbound service EK420 will depart Dubai at 3:00am, arriving in Perth at 5:50pm. From 18 June, the outbound service EK421 will depart Perth at 10:20pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:20am the following. 

Brisbane: From 18 June, the inbound service EK430 will depart Dubai at 2:45am, arriving in Brisbane at 10:35pm. From 19 June, the outbound service EK431 will depart Brisbane at 9:00pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:10am the following day. 

Melbourne: The inbound service EK408 departs Dubai at 2:40am, arriving in Melbourne at 9:50pm. The outbound service EK407 departs Melbourne at 9:15pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:15am the following day. From 17 June, the outbound service will be changed to EK409, departing Melbourne at 9:15pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:15am the following day. 

Sydney: The inbound service EK414 departs Dubai at 2:15am, arriving in Sydney at 10:05pm. The outbound service EK415 departs Sydney at 9:10pm, arriving in Dubai at 5:40am the following day. 

23 June 2020 

Victoria Police have finally taken delivery of the first of three Leonardo AW139s fitted with high-definition cameras and infrared technology to read number plates from the air. 

The helicopters join one new Beechcraft Super King Air 350ER at the air wing base in Essendon Fields. 

The force hopes the purchase will allow the hours flown by the air wing division to rise from 300 to 500 per month. 

24 June 2020 

Singapore Airlines has announced the addition of Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba to its list of COVID-19 cargo destinations, serving as a part of the federal government’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) program. 

19 June saw the airline’s cargo-only A350-900 take on the non-controlled aerodrome of Wellcamp Airport, west of Brisbane, for the first time. 

According to SIA, there will be a total of six once-weekly flights into the regional Queensland airport, which will see local producers provided with over 180 tonnes of cargo capacity, in order to send the fresh produce of the Darling Downs to markets across the globe. 

30 June 2020 

An Antonov AN-124 Ruslan landed at Auckland Airport on 27 June to deliver new engines for Air New Zealand’s 787 Dreamliner fleet. 

Stuff reports that the enormous Soviet-era jet carried four engines, two were new leases from Rolls-Royce, while the other had undergone maintenance work in Singapore. 

The plane belonged to Russian charter company Volga-Dnepr Airlines and is still reportedly parked up at Auckland Airport. 

The iconic four-engine plane was created by Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union. 

3 July 2020 

The first FlyPelican direct flight between Canberra and Ballina/ Byron Bay departed on 3 July, with return flights between the ACT and the sunny far north NSW coastline to now depart three times per week. 

For the first time, Canberrans looking to holiday in the sunny far north NSW region of Ballina and Byron Bay will be able to fly direct, with a flight time of a little over two hours. 

For its inagural flight on the route, FlyPelican’s Jetstream 32 took off from the nation’s capital at 8:56am, and landed at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport around 11:10am. 

6 July 2020 

Air New Zealand will finally resume its A320 service between Auckland and Invercargill. 

The service, which first launched in August 2019, will land on the North Island at 12:40pm with the return departing Invercargill at 1:25pm. Moving forward, the service will operate on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. 

The resumption is another significant moment as the airline rebuilds its network towards its target of getting back to 55 per cent capacity in August. 

7 July 2020 

Qantas has announced the program of events to farewell its last remaining Boeing 747 and provide Australians with an opportunity to say goodbye to the Queen of the Skies ahead of its retirement. 

The airline will operate three one-hour “farewell jumbo joy flights” departing from Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, in response to requests from employees and customers for one final chance to fly on the aircraft. 

The flights will go on sale at midday on 8 July on qantas.com and will operate on Monday, 13 July (Sydney), Wednesday, 15 July (Brisbane) and Friday, 17 July (Canberra). Economy fares cost $400 and a small number of Business Class tickets will be available for $747 with additional extras included. 

Both museums have a Qantas 747 on public display. The final 747-400 in the fleet will depart Sydney at approximately 2pm on 22 July 2020 as flight QF7474. 

Prior to its final departure on 22 July, Qantas will host a hangar farewell event for employees. 

8 July 2020 

Virgin Australia resumed services between Sydney and Ballina Byron on 7 July following similar moves by rivals Jetstar, Qantas and FlyPelican.

The extra service (VA1141) means that the airport is now welcoming almost as many flights as before the pandemic began, due to its location in the open state of NSW but in the warmer north. 

The Boeing B738, VH-YWE, left Sydney Airport at 1:15pm on Tuesday, and arrived at Ballina Byron Airport at 2:21pm. 

9 July 2020 

HARS Aviation Museum has painstakingly reassembled a Cold War-era Soviet MiG-21, which it will display on 10-12 July at Shellharbour Regional Airport. 

The aircraft will be displayed alongside its rival Mirage supersonic jet fighter 111O that served with the RAAF from 1966 to 1987, as well as two Fokker Friendship aircraft. 

The displays will be part of the museum’s Tarmac Days display and comes shortly after the centre was able to open back up again after coronavirus restrictions were lifted. 

Volunteers only recently finished restoring the MiG-21 back to its original condition and it comes complete with Indian Air Force colours where it served. 

10 July 2020 

A Qantas Boeing 737-838, VH-VZI, received a water cannon salute when it landed on the Gold Coast from Sydney minutes before the Queensland border opened at midday. 

23 July 2020 

The final Qantas 747 flight went viral with more than 600,000 users sharing its kangaroo flight path on Twitter and Instagram. 

In fact, during its first hour in the air, Flightradar24 reported that 150,000 users were tracking its journey in real-time as people tried to decipher what Captain Sharelle Quinn was attempting. 

QF7474 departed Sydney at 3:28pm on 22 July on its way to Los Angeles, but on the way took a detour to draw an enormous Qantas Kangaroo in the skies. 

Australian Aviation can reveal the now-iconic design measured 275 kilometres east-west and 250 kilometres north-south and took just under 90 minutes to complete. 

When it finished, VH-OEJ climbed to cruising altitude and headed for Los Angeles, where it touched down at 1:23pm after 15 hours in the air. 

The 17-year-old Boeing 747- 438 then took off from LAX at 8:52am and arrived at 11:50am. 

The aviation blogger was on the ground at the Mojave Air and Space Port to record the moment VH-OEJ landed at 11:50am on Saturday morning, after a short flight from LAX. 

The airport, IATA: MHV, is located within the Mojave Space Port and has been storing aircraft since the 1970s. 

Trivia 

The first Qantas 747-238 was VH-EBA, named City of Canberra and the first ever Qantas 747 flight was on 17 September 1971 from Sydney to Singapore (via Melbourne), carrying 55 first class and 239 economy passengers. 

In almost 50 years of service, the Qantas Boeing 747 fleet of aircraft has flown over 3.6 billion kilometres, the equivalent of 4,700 return trips to the moon or 90,000 times around the world. 

Qantas operated a total number of 65 747 aircraft, including the 747-100, 747-200, 747-SP, 747-300, 747-400 and the 747-400ER, and each had specific capabilities such as increased thrust engines and increased take-off weight to allow longer range operations. 

In 1979, Qantas became the first airline to operate an all Boeing 747 fleet.

The 747 also broke records, including in 1989 when Qantas crew flew a world first nonstop commercial flight from London to Sydney in 20 hours and nine minutes. That 30-year record was only broken in 2019 when Qantas operated a 787 Dreamliner London-Sydney direct in 19 hours and 19 minutes. 

24 July 2020 

The WA Police have become the first Australian customer to buy Airbus’ new fivebladed H145 helicopter. 

The H145 – previously known as the EC145 – features a Fenestron shrouded tail rotor and twin Safran Helicopter Arrius 2E engines. 

4 July 2020 

The two A380s were flying down under had registrations 9V-SKP and 9V-SKQ. 

While 9V-SKQ made its journey on 26 June as flight SQ8867, 9V-SKP flew the next day as SQ8865. The flight time for this journey is about five hours. 

Now making for a total of six A380s, the two recent additions join four superjumbos that arrived in late April. Their registration numbers are as follows: 

• 9V-SKT 
• 9V-SKW 
• 9V-SKY 
• 9V-SKZ. 

Alice Springs 

Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage has taken delivery of nine Cebu Pacific planes this week and another Singapore Airlines’ A380, taking to 43 the number of aeroplanes now parked at the site. 

Singapore Airlines’ now has seven A380s stored in the Red Centre, which has raised questions about why Qantas is sending its 12 A380s to California, at an estimated cost of $150,000 for each flight.