Adam Thorn

Here, Australian Aviation lists every flypast in every state, including times and exact locations. Aircraft in the skies include the F-35, Hercules and Super Hornet alongside warbirds such as the A-37 Dragonfly and CAC Winjeel.

Over 75 up-and-comers of the defence and national security workforce have made history by qualifying as the first group of finalists at the awards.

It comes after Australian Aviation reported in November that the Tasmanian service would be temporarily cancelled due to changes in the maintenance plan for Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines used on its A320neo and A321neos.

It comes as incumbent Richard Goyder faces pressure at energy giant Woodside, where he is also chairman, and as the Flying Kangaroo faces a series of major challenges posed by conflict in the Middle East.

The announcement was made at the unveiling of the ‘National Defence Strategy’ and follows January’s decision to upgrade the Super Hornet fleet and keep it flying until at least 2030, far beyond its initial retirement date of 2027.

The Flying Kangaroo has had the route to itself post-pandemic, with the latest data from the Department of Transport showing it boasted load factors of 90 per cent outbound – its fourth-highest for an international destination.