Jake Nelson

The Finnish carrier will operate the new Melbourne route using its A350 fleet, which features business, premium economy, and economy seating. Flights will commence on 26 October subject to government approvals, with passengers able to book to Bangkok or all the way to Helsinki.

Between them, the major Australian airlines are expecting to fly more than 13 million passengers over the Christmas holidays, while November saw the strongest monthly year-on-year growth for Australian aviation in 2025, with load factors reaching 85 per cent according to Airservices.

The airport, more than 1,500km north of Perth, is seeking to become the only regional gateway in Western Australia to host international routes to destinations such as Singapore and Bali, with previous services to Broome and Port Hedland having been axed.

Almost 1,800 former ground workers, whose jobs were outsourced in 2020 in contravention of the Fair Work Act, will receive emergency payments of $3,333 each before Christmas, with the remainder to be paid pro-rata based on individual entitlements.

Starting on 1 April, the airline will increase Broome flights to 17 per week due to high demand, up more than 40 per cent on existing capacity, with new services timed to enable connections from capital cities on the east coast.

The $5 million taxiway, which began construction in April, required more than 6,000 cubic metres of material to be excavated, as well as the laying of 2,200 square metres of specialist concrete. It has now opened in time for Christmas freight, with Qantas A321s already touching down.