Opinion And Comments

In this section of the magazine, our contributors offer their thoughts and insights into industry issues that matter most to them. For this edition, Jake Nelson asks if Project Sunrise will bring about a long-haul revolution, Hannah Dowling looks at what lessons Australian airlines can learn from the demise of Spirit, Stephen Kuper argues for an Australian “Air Force One”, and Robert Dougherty weighs the benefits of Australia joining an international project for sixth-generation fighters.

“Operating on slim operating margins in a boom-and-bust industry like aviation means any operation is a few poor decisions and a twist of fate away from total destruction.”

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JAKE OP-ED: “Bookings won’t open until early next year, but if Qantas’ own figures are to be believed, the hype is very much real.”

HANNAH OP-ED: “The rise and fall of Spirit Airlines is ultimately an underdog success story that gets turned on its head after a touch of bad luck, a pinch of global pandemic, and a sprinkle of corporate greed.”

STEVE OP-ED: “Critics will inevitably argue that a dedicated VIP aircraft represents unnecessary extravagance. That criticism misunderstands the nature of modern national security.”

ROB OP-ED: “Australian decision makers should rightly question whether this kind of sixth-generation combat-air system would fit neatly into current combat-air capability.”