Jake Nelson

The aircraft, VH-A5A, touched down in Melbourne at 11:41pm on Sunday, 24 November, having flown via Kuala Lumpur according to data from FlightRadar24. It was spotted in flight testing late last month at Airbus’ facility in France.

Interstate return airfares to and from Darwin can cost up to $1,500, ABC’s Stateline reported this week, with customers reporting high prices even when booking half a year in advance. Both major airlines have denied they are gouging passengers.

In its half-year earnings guidance to investors, the carrier advised that up to six Airbus neo aircraft and up to four 787 Dreamliners have been out of service in the first half of the 2025 financial year, due partially to global delays in engine maintenance.

The scholarship, which this year offered $120,000 shared by five final-year students completing aviation degrees at RMIT, will be expanded to $150,000 for six students in 2025.

According to data released this month by analyst OAG, half of the biggest 20 aviation markets – including Australia – are yet to reach 2019 levels of seat capacity, with Australia still 2.7 per cent below 2019 even as it grew by 4 per cent compared to 2023.

The helicopter was located after a search by an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Challenger rescue jet, as well as a Victorian Air Ambulance helicopter and a local skydiving aircraft, the ABC has reported.