Jake Nelson

Danielle Keighery, who was Virgin’s chief experience officer before the airline went into administration during the pandemic, will take over from Andrew McGinnes as Qantas’ chief corporate affairs and communications officer on 1 March.

The service, starting in September, will operate three times per week using Jetstar’s A320 fleet, with ticket sales to begin next month. Jetstar estimates that it will create 58,000 seats per year between Adelaide and the popular tourist destination.

Speaking to Ross Greenwood on Sky News, Sir Tim Clark acknowledged that Qantas has had “a torrid time”, but said former CEO Alan Joyce did a good job guiding the Flying Kangaroo through the pandemic, especially considering the Australian Government’s restrictive border policies.

Danial Rochford, the CEO of Tourism Central Australia, has lauded the low-cost carrier’s twice-weekly service, saying it had brought more airline competition to the Red Centre and is expected to carry significant numbers of tourists into Alice Springs.

Starting 1 October, Emirates’ second daily flight to Brisbane will be upgraded from a 777-300ER to an A380, while Perth will see an additional daily 777-300ER flight starting 1 December. Between them, the two flights are expected to add 6,900 seats between Australia and Dubai per week.

In an official submission to the International Air Services Commission, the consumer watchdog has argued that Virgin’s application would bolster competition on routes from Australia to Bali and give passengers more choice for airfares and service offerings.