Jake Nelson

The Flying Kangaroo pointed to new data that showed it was outperforming Virgin despite its on-time departures remaining far below the long-term average.

A route via Singapore will initially fly three times per week on 787-9 Dreamliners, with non-stop services to commence once it acquires the A350-1000s necessary to reach Australia’s east coast directly from Istanbul. The first flight will touch down in Melbourne on 16 March.

Despite the opening being delayed to next year, several key milestones are “on track” according to airport management, with the old terminal demolished, columns for the new border agency installed, work underway on lift pits and baggage tunnels, and a concrete slab poured last week.

Andrew Glance, currently the executive manager of commercial partnerships and Qantas business rewards, has been with Qantas since 2002 and with Loyalty since 2016. He will assume the CEO role when Wirth departs at the end of February following her resignation in October last year.

The agreement will see 17 new Link Airways regional services, equivalent to around 90 services per week, join Virgin Australia’s regional network – a significant expansion for Virgin in the eastern states, which are largely untouched by the Perth-based Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.

Of the four Public Transport Victoria bus routes available, only the 902 operates after 7:45pm or more than once an hour, and many residents of surrounding suburbs have poor access to airport buses despite the airport employing more than 18,000 people.