Jake Nelson

Pilots will receive a 3 per cent wage increase per year for the next four years after nearly 56.5 per cent of those who voted supported the deal, which also includes rostering improvements and new part-time arrangements. It will cover around 1,250 pilots at the airline.

As part of Round 5 of the Regional Airports Program, airports can apply for funding for essential works between $20,000 and $5 million, with eligible works able to receive up to 50 per cent of the costs as a grant.

The plan will set the course for the next two decades of development at Queensland’s largest international gateway, with demand tipped to increase dramatically, especially in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE has been lowered from level 4 (“do not travel”) to level 3 (“reconsider your need to travel”), though some areas in Israel remain at level 4. The move will make it easier for Australians to transit through the Gulf to Europe.

Flight QF209 left Coolangatta for Auckland at around 2:15pm aboard the 737-800 VH-VZO. The Flying Kangaroo will operate three flights per week between the Gold Coast and Auckland, with both economy and business-class options.

The six months to 28 March saw 90 per cent of allocated slots flown, with a further five per cent unable to be used due to circumstances beyond the airlines’ control such as weather and the Middle East conflict, the slot manager said in its full season report.