Hannah Dowling

Charter and FIFO operator Cobham has extended its signed agreement with Embraer for repairs and maintenance on its fleet of three E190s.

Australians overseas hoping to come home before Christmas are set to be disappointed as airlines slash flight schedules and cancel flights, to navigate significantly reduced arrival caps.

Rex deputy chairman John Sharp said that airlines can’t just implement new policies overnight, so the government needs to be providing certainty now.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots has put forward a proposal for a $10 million Job Ready Pilot (JRP) program that could see unemployed pilots ready to return to work as soon as required.

Minister Tehan said the government was now working to get all the required systems and processes ready and in place to allow people to freely leave and return to Australia.

The Flying Kangaroo will endeavour on a nearly 18-hour trip on 5 October, when it performs a repatriation flight from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Darwin – via the South Pole.