Jake Nelson

In an Australian first, Virgin says its customers will be able to surface destinations based on budget or departure city; find best-value travel periods for different dates; compare cash fares or points-plus-pay; and find the lowest fares across multiple days through the chatbot.

The first commercial passenger service, JQ362, will depart WSI for the Gold Coast at 11am on Sunday 25 October, with tickets on sale from 10 June. It will come after the airport first opens to freight next month, with the maiden Qantas Freight service taking off on the evening of 27 July.

The Australia Saudi Business Council has signed a memorandum of understanding to potentially bring Saudia Cargo freight operations to Toowoomba Wellcamp and Avalon airports, with new airline Riyadh Air also potentially on the cards for premium passenger services, the Financial Review reported.

The new route 222 bus, operated by Kinetic, will run hourly between the airport and the city starting 29 June from 4am to 11pm, seven days per week excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday. Services will commence on 29 June.

The carrier will transition to its own 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft on Brisbane–Newcastle and Brisbane–Rockhampton from early August, in a move that comes as it continues to take delivery of new aircraft in its fleet renewal program.

The project, supported by $2.88 million from the Albanese government’s Albury Wodonga Regional Projects initiative, extends the western Taxiway Alpha as part of its broader infrastructure strategy to “support growing aviation demand and enable long-term expansion opportunities”.