Jake Nelson

In its case against Lim and three other former Rex directors, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said Lim had approved a market update in February 2023 saying Rex was “optimistic” about a full-year profit despite knowing the airline was on track for a loss.

Launched alongside travel marketplace Hopper, Virgin Australia Holidays will give passengers the ability to book flights and accommodation together, and comes as the airline releases a YouGov survey which it says shows “strong demand” for package travel.

Flight JQ105 left Brisbane for Rarotonga at around 10:40pm on Monday night aboard the A321neo LR VH-OSE. The service will operate three times per week, and gives Brisbane its 35th international destination, with Jetstar remaining Queensland’s largest international carrier.

Flight Q2956 from Malé touched down in Melbourne just after 2pm on Monday, returning later that night as Q2957. Operated by Maldivian Airlines, the seasonal weekly flights are sold as a package deal through tour operator Luxury Escapes.

Zinc Airlines, a project by Peter Kelly, who ran both Ansett’s Golden Wing Club and Qantas Frequent Flyer and helped establish Jetstar before moving into aviation consulting, is seeking to raise $200 million for what is described as a business model patterned on Ryanair.

Services from both Melbourne and Adelaide to Bali will be axed from 18 June, with Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, general manager of Indonesia AirAsia, saying the decision was “not made lightly, but the current operating environment has made these routes no longer viable”.