Jake Nelson

A RAAF C-17A Globemaster III last month dropped off the first supplies at Wilkins Aerodrome in Antarctica.

Operation Christmas Drop 24 ran from 4 to 17 December and involved a RAAF C-130J Hercules and 35 Australian Defence Force personnel.

The funding will be used to upgrade the runway at Whyalla Airport in regional South Australia, which was last year at the centre of the high-profile “Rexit” stoush between Rex and the local council over enhanced security screening.

The planes landed at RAAF Base Williamtown between November and December as part of Operation Lightning Ferry, bringing the Air Force’s total F-35A contingent to 72.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports are bracing for potential post-COVID-19 highs in traveller numbers between 13 December and 27 January, with the holiday season tipped to be the busiest since at least 2019 at around 15.9 million passengers.

Airport Coordination Australia (ACA), which has handled Sydney’s slots for the past quarter century, has lost the contract to London-based Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) for the next three years, as reported by The Australian this week.