Jake Nelson

The carrier will fly direct from Perth to Singapore, Phuket, and Bangkok starting in 2024, and will open a new WA base for at least 60 pilots. It is also planning to base four aircraft in Perth, including the A321neo LR, to build on its domestic and international operations from the west coast.

The airline will fly from Melbourne and Brisbane to Uluru for the first time, commencing on 6 and 7 June 2024 respectively. Brisbane services will operate three times per week and Melbourne up to four times per week, adding more than 62,000 seats per year to the Red Centre.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, Harfield said that while in a perfect world Airservices would need 800 qualified air traffic controllers, the fact that it currently has around 900 does not necessarily mean the entire system is covered.

An initial cohort of six Airservices Australia trainees will be sent to Christchurch following 10 weeks of online training with Airways’ AKO virtual academy. This represents the beginning of a new contract between the two ATC organisations, with further cohorts expected to be sent in future.

In a speech before the Australian Airports Association (AAA) national conference this week, Culbert called out what he described as a “pattern of over-filing for slots and high cancellations” by Qantas and Virgin, which he said has returned over the past two years of COVID recovery.

The direct service, commencing on 26 March, will operate three times per week using Jetstar’s A320 aircraft, and is estimated to carry up to 50,000 passengers per year. It is the second Jetstar service to operate from Busselton Margaret River following the launch of a Melbourne route last year.