Jake Nelson

The plane, identified as a Cessna 172, sparked a grass fire in the accident at around 12:30pm on Monday 5 December, leading to dramatic photos and video on social media. The pilot escaped uninjured, according to officials.

Speaking to The Australian for its 2026 CEO Survey, Vanessa Hudson said the Flying Kangaroo has been “laying the foundations” for increased use of AI, and that Australia needs to move quickly on the “unprecedented” opportunities it represents.

The Kiwi carrier saw 79.29 per cent of its flights arrive on time last year, data from analyst Cirium has revealed, placing it behind only Philippine Airlines at 83.12 per cent. Virgin and Qantas placed eighth and ninth in the Asia-Pacific region, respectively.

Under a $22.8 million investment over three years, the Sunshine Coast POLAIR base will be bolstered, with aerial operations to be extended into the Moreton Bay region. The base has seen 449 helicopter flights since January last year.

An exclusive Foo Fighters concert, to be held at University of Tasmania Stadium on 24 January, will see around 6,700 passengers travel through Launceston the day before, with Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar all putting on extra flights to meet the anticipated demand.

As 2026 dawns, Australian Aviation takes a look back at 2025 and counts down our top five most-read stories.