Jake Nelson

The flights, launching 3 November, will operate twice per week, on Mondays and Fridays, from Perth to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands using A319 and A320 aircraft. Outbound flights from Perth will operate as QF361 and QF363, and return services as QF362 and QF364.

Starting 23 December, the airline will fly three times per week return between Melbourne and Shenzhen using Airbus A330-200 aircraft, adding 95,000 seats per year to mainland China. It comes as Melbourne Airport marks its busiest-ever July for international travel.

The fine, around 75 per cent of the maximum penalty of $121 million, was imposed by Justice Michael Lee on Monday morning. $50 million of this will be paid to the Transport Workers’ Union, with a further hearing to determine how the remaining $40 million should be distributed.

In a $26.7 million boost to the RAC Rescue fleet, the AW139s replace ageing Bell 412EPs which had been in use with the state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) since 2003. They will operate from bases at Jandakot and Bunbury, operating 24/7 and 365 days per year.

The carrier will begin year-round flights starting 3 November, initially three times per week but moving to more frequent flights on larger aircraft according to demand. This will be the first time any airline has flown between the two holiday destinations since before the pandemic.

In its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for July 2025, Airservices Australia noted that the regional aviation industry “relies heavily on ageing aircraft, highlighting challenges in fleet modernisation”.