Hannah Dowling

A number of Australian businesses have joined the ranks of Greenbird – an industry consortium working to establish advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions, or air taxis, in Australia.

The partnership comes as somewhat of a surprise given Virgin’s ongoing partnership with Qatar rival Etihad for global travel via the Middle East, as well as Qatar’s membership of the Oneworld Alliance, of which Virgin rival Qantas is also a member.

It comes after Michael Fitzgerald filed a Fair Work claim against the airline, stating the business violated his workplace rights by terminating his contract while he was on extended sick leave for over seven months.

Air New Zealand has launched a new safety video, as a means to encourage returning New Zealanders and international tourists to “care for our place, our culture and our people”.

According to a statement released by the Western Australia government, Qantas’ Perth to London flights are set to restart on 23 May, with tickets now on sale.

The airline said on Thursday that the move, which would see Alliance become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas, would allow it to “better serve the growing resources sector”.