Jake Nelson

The Australian has reported that no single buyer has come forward, according to the source, though a number of items – including a small house near Sydney Airport, the airline’s 737 flight simulator, and an inventory of spare parts – have been sold to provide some extra cash.

Flight QF63 departed Sydney for Johannesburg on board VH-OQH at 10:20am on Monday, with Qantas saying the inaugural flights were fully booked in both directions. This is the first time any carrier has flown A380 services between Australia and South Africa.

The line maintenance staff, who are responsible for towing and marshalling aircraft as well as performing turnaround checks, joined existing strike action by engines and components maintenance workers.

Court documents signed off by both the ACCC and Qantas have also disclosed that staff were aware customers were booking the cancelled services and that passengers weren’t notified immediately of the error.  

The clash between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions in Melbourne on Saturday is expected to see more than 254,000 passengers pass through the terminals at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Airports, with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar all adding more capacity to meet demand.

Staff from the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance, which comprises the AMWU, the AWU, and the ETU, downed tools in Melbourne on Thursday, with more strikes planned at other major airports over the next two weeks. The alliance warns it is “highly likely to affect Qantas flights in all major capitals”.