Hannah Dowling

The Australian Defence Force is gearing up to provide a range of static and flight displays at the 2021 Wings Over Illawarra air show at Albion Park Regional Airport this Saturday and Sunday.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has revealed the details of a conversation between him and WA Premier Mark McGowan, in which the Premier promised that Perth-London flights could resume in 2022.

It comes after rival Rex was awarded the contract for Central Route 1, which connects the regional towns of Roma and Charleville to the state’s capital of Brisbane, after snagging the contract away from Qantas.

Formerly the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems, the new name marks a “subtle but significant” change, according to the association, which is the oldest and largest industry advocacy group for drones and the emerging urban air mobility sector in Australia.

Qantas is set to reinstate direct services from Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to Sydney from 14 February, after a nearly two-year hiatus of the route, as it ramps up its operations throughout Queensland.

While some staff from the department were reportedly subject to non-disclosure agreements, others have now spoken out about their experiences, with one staff member stating they felt “defeated and stressed” during their time at the company.