Adam Thorn

An ATSB investigation into the incident, which took place at Coonabarabran in NSW last year, concluded the move was “intentional” despite the pilot not having the correct licence to fly so low.  

A restructure of top positions means Cameron Wallace will in July be appointed as the new head of the Flying Kangaroo’s international operation, with current executive Andrew David departing later this year.

The incident is eerily similar to an occurrence earlier this month involving a larger Qantas Dreamliner sat at Newcastle Airport.

The new widebodies are already two years late and could be crucial to Qantas both launching new international routes or adding capacity to existing services.

The planemaker played down safety concerns on the aircraft currently flying and insisted only “near-term” deliveries would be affected.  

Wing Commander Steven Thornton said the “threat replication” at the Nevada Test and Training Range was some of the most advanced in the world.