Jake Nelson

TWU workers have applied to the Fair Work Commission for a Protected Action Ballot (PAB), accusing Virgin and its regional arm Virgin Australia Regional Airways (VARA) of refusing to correct what it describes as “poverty pay, insecure work, and safety issues”.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie, who chaired the inquiry, moved on Wednesday to extend it so witnesses including Joyce and Transport Minister Catherine King could be called. The motion was defeated 34–31, however, as the Greens and independent David Pocock sided with the government against it.

In a joint statement, Transport Minister Catherine King and Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the watchdog will release quarterly reports on airlines’ costs, prices and profits, complementing its role in relation to “certain airports” and helping to inform the upcoming Aviation White Paper.

In a joint statement, the two airlines acknowledged there was “no reasonable path forward” for the deal after it was opposed by the ACCC, though Qantas will still own a 20 per cent stake in Alliance. The agreement that sees Alliance fly up to 30 E190s for Qantas will also continue.

The plane, slated to arrive in November and be ready for service in the end-of-year peak, follows the deliveries of Rex’s eighth and ninth 737s in July and September.

Qatar Airways flight QR7424, on board the Boeing 777-300ER A7-BAL, touched down at around 6pm on Tuesday night having departed Dubai World Central Airport at 9:32pm local time. Of the 222 people on board the flight, 164 were Australian citizens.