Jake Nelson

Airnorth’s Embraer E190 VH-XFC flew a SpaceX recovery team to Christmas Island on 15 August for a crew change following Starship Flight 13’s splashdown in the Indian Ocean. According to the airline, Christmas Island is “one of the most complex destinations Airnorth plans and operates to”.

The charter and FIFO carrier requested a trading halt on Monday morning, to last until Wednesday or until an announcement is made about capital raising, following reports in The Australian Financial Review over the weekend that a plan may be in the works.

The Japanese carrier will bring more than 26,000 additional inbound seats to WA between 25 October 2026 and 27 March 2027 following the success of its first daily seasonal service between December 2025 and April 2026.

Detailed on the safety watchdog’s website, the report from an “experienced Air Traffic Controller” expresses concerns that the Sydney Terminal Control Unit (TCU) is “not ready to safely manage the impending complex airspace and procedure changes” implemented in July.

The airstrip in Balgo, located at the edge of the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts in the Kimberley region, received $3 million from the federal government and more than $3.65 million from the WA government to boost safety and reliability.

The low-cost carrier has cited “increased cost pressures, softer demand and the need to strategically align the airline’s network and fleet” in its decision to suspend the A330 flights between Sydney and the Malaysian capital, with Melbourne and Perth to see increased services instead.