Hannah Dowling

UPDATE: Gold Coast Airport has officially reopened as of Tuesday morning, while Lismore Airport is now largely underwater as the flooding crisis continues to worsen south of the border.

According to Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, the airline is currently on the hunt for cabin crew, ground services workers, engineers, pilots, and corporate staff.

A QantasLink Dash 8-400 was struck by lightning shortly after taking off from Brisbane Airport on Sunday, before landing safely back in Brisbane.

The airline has said that all non-executive employees – around 20,000 workers – will be eligible to receive 1,000 rights, which will convert to Qantas shares in August 2023.

The airline remained tight-lipped about the specifics, however CEO Alan Joyce noted that demand for ultra-long-haul, point-to-point flights appears to have increased in light of the pandemic.

Former Virgin Australia bondholders are being encouraged to join a class-action suit against the airline’s former and current directors and senior executives in Federal Court.