Jake Nelson

Workers at Qantas Ground Services (QGS) and Australian Air Express (AAE) will walk off the job in Victoria on Wednesday and the rest of the country on Thursday, with the Transport Workers’ Union decrying what it labels as “corporate greed on steroids”.

The airport, which is located on Defence-owned land and operates as a shared facility with RAAF Base Wagga, is run by the council as part of a long-standing partnership with Defence.

The route, set to resume next month, will operate three times per week for most of the season, with a fourth flight to be added over the peak between 27 February and 20 March. This will increase available seats by 28 per cent over the previous year.

In data obtained by The Australian under freedom of information laws, Sydney ATCs took an average of 17 days of sick leave in the year ending 30 June, compared to Brisbane at 13.5, Melbourne at 12.8, and Perth at 8.45; across the whole of Airservices, the average was 14.6 days per person.

Progressively replacing diesel vehicles across the airport’s operations, the 25 dual-control airfield apron buses and 25 “Citirider” electric shuttle buses has been supplied by Australian electric vehicle manufacturer Bus & Coach International (BCI).

The FIFO and charter operator has finished both the institutional and retail components of the equity raising after it recorded a $38.2 million underlying pre-tax profit, but a $90 million statutory loss, for the 2025–26 financial year.