Jake Nelson

Speaking to RNZ, Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said while no routes will be axed entirely, services will be reduced “proportionally across the board”. The airline earlier this week suspended its financial guidance due to the volatility in fuel prices.

As reported in The Australian, at least 17 crew members that were due to travel to Doha for the placement with Qatar have been told the program is on hold, while Virgin Australia is offering support to staff already in Doha seeking to return to Australia.

In its Sydney Airport Northern Winter 2025 Mid-Season Report, available online, the slot manager revealed that aircraft slot utilisation across international, domestic, regional passenger and freight services reached 91 per cent between October 26, 2025, to January 9, 2026.

The aeromedical services provider will build what it says are “the only full-suite Leonardo immersive simulation systems outside Italy” at its planned LifeFlight Clive Berghofer Training Academy, incorporating high-fidelity simulators and advanced training systems.

In a statement, the Flying Kangaroo said that cost increases will vary from route to route. Qantas does not operate any of its own services to the Middle East, with its existing Europe flights continuing as scheduled, though Perth–London has added a fuel stop in Singapore.

In his submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into regional airfares and a rare public statement since Bonza’s 2024 collapse, Jordan singled out the dominance of Qantas Group – and, to a lesser extent, Virgin Australia – as a major factor placing upward pressure on fares.