Jake Nelson

V-BAT, made by US-based company Shield AI, is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS that its manufacturer says can meet “a broad array of civil and defence mission requirements” through its capacity for multi-mission payload sets.

Under questioning from the Senate Select Committee on Cost of Living on Monday, Joyce effectively said the national carrier is triaging services due to circumstances outside its control and that it is better to concentrate cancellations on high-frequency routes than to spread the pain out.

The plane will be the second deployed to support NJE’s new Queensland services under its long-term contract with mining giant BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), which started on 1 July. Slated to enter service in October, it will operate between Brisbane and the town of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully admitted that the airline still has a substantial amount of unused flight credit over and above the approximately $370 million in credit Qantas holds for its own flights.

The four Striker Volterra 6×6 vehicles are set to arrive in 2025 ahead of the airport opening in 2026, and were selected for what Airservices Australia – which operates Australia’s national Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) service – bills as their advanced safety and eco-friendly capabilities.

The Assistant Treasurer, in comments to The Australian Financial Review, maintained the federal government’s line that knocking back Qatar’s request for additional air rights was “in the national interest”, and added that Qantas’s massive $2.5bn annual profit was “a good news story”.