Jake Nelson

The Australian and International Pilots’ Association has filed a protected action ballot order, with pilots set to vote between 27 July and 3 August. Potential actions include bans on work duties outside stipulated duty hours, delays to sign-on times, and outright work stoppages.

In its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for June 2026, Airservices found that total network passenger flights were up 1.5 per cent and volumes up 2.7 per cent over FY25, with industry performance and Airservices’ own performance also improving.

The American firm, which purchased Rex out of administration late last year, pledged to return an additional 14 of Rex’s Saab 340B aircraft to the skies; however, despite drawing on $26.7 million of a $60 million loan from the federal government, it has yet to appreciably raise the number in operation.

Sunshine Coast-Cairns was picked up by Jetstar in December 2024 and currently flies three times per week, but will not run between late October and early December. It comes as Jetstar drops its “unviable” route between the Sunshine Coast and Auckland from October.

Jetstar will launch the first services on 25 October, followed by Air New Zealand the next day and Singapore Airlines on 23 November, with QantasLink to begin Embraer E190 services in March. An Air New Zealand flight from Auckland will be the first international service to touch down.

Having opened on 19 July, Fellowship Place – featuring the tail of a retired Fokker F28 Fellowship aircraft donated by Aviation Australia – offers a closer, less obstructed view of aircraft movements, as well as an elevated viewing platform, shaded seating, and accessible pathways.