Pilots will receive a 3 per cent wage increase per year for the next four years after nearly 56.5 per cent of those who voted supported the deal, which also includes rostering improvements and new part-time arrangements. It will cover around 1,250 pilots at the airline.

On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David arm doors and cross-check as Western Sydney Airport finally begins taxiing out and prepares for its take-off roll.

The completion of the AIR5440 program, dubbed “an important milestone in the delivery of a complex air mobility capability upgrade achieved through strong defence industry collaboration”, was marked with an event at RAAF Base Richmond this month.

As part of Round 5 of the Regional Airports Program, airports can apply for funding for essential works between $20,000 and $5 million, with eligible works able to receive up to 50 per cent of the costs as a grant.

The plan will set the course for the next two decades of development at Queensland’s largest international gateway, with demand tipped to increase dramatically, especially in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE has been lowered from level 4 (“do not travel”) to level 3 (“reconsider your need to travel”), though some areas in Israel remain at level 4. The move will make it easier for Australians to transit through the Gulf to Europe.