Jake Nelson

The event, originally scheduled for 15 to 17 August 2025, has been axed for this year, as efforts to repair the beach at Surfers Paradise following the cyclone have been hampered by recurring king tides with accompanying large swells.

ZK-OKN was operating flight NZ124 from Melbourne when it drifted from the centre line and onto a sealed shoulder in January 2023, hitting six runway lights and damaging several tyres as well as a brake assembly and wiring harness.

In a note to staff seen by Australian Aviation, chief executive Dave Emerson said all eligible staff would automatically receive the “Take-Off Grant” in the relisting, which is rumoured to be planned for as soon as this year.

The kiosks, procured by the airport in an agreement with Australian Border Force, will boost incoming passenger capacity by 640 per hour and are part of a larger order of 40 SmartGates to be installed by early next year.

Using its WA-based 150-seater A319 fleet, Qantas’ regional arm will begin a new route from Perth to Newcastle three times per week on 8 September, and restore its former Perth–Hobart service three times per week from 26 September.

Senator McKenzie, who was a critic of the Labor government’s aviation policy and pushed for EU-style “pay-on-delay” laws during the government’s first term, has signalled a continued focus on aviation in her second stint as the opposition’s transport spokesperson.