Year: 2023

The aircraft is based on a heavily modified Airbus A330 airliner and undertakes air-to-air refuelling and strategic airlift duties. Australia has seven, which are operated by No. 33 Squadron and based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.

Four staff were ferried safely ashore after being evacuated from a remote offshore weather station by the next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, operating from guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane Navy warship.

Registered VH-8ZL, the plane touched down in Brisbane at 4:21pm on Wednesday after its ferry flight from Goodyear, Arizona, where it had undergone heavy maintenance and painting. Rex will put the aircraft, which previously flew with Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol, into service this week.

Starting on 17 June, Jetstar will fly its 787-8 fleet up to daily to Singapore, and up to five times per week to Bangkok and Phuket respectively. Currently the airline flies up to six times per week to Singapore and three times per week to Bangkok and Phuket.

In the last Australian Aviation podcast for 2023, Adam and Jake discuss Bonza’s difficulties with CASA around its new Gold Coast base and how they might be resolved.

Flight AB1079 arrived at Alice Springs Airport at 4:23pm local time aboard Bonza’s 737 MAX 8, VH-UJT ‘Shazza’. It is the second Bonza route to launch into the Northern Territory following Sunshine Coast–Darwin last month, with the planned Gold Coast–Darwin launch delayed to 2 January.