Jake Nelson

Flight JQ81 took off from Perth Airport at around 10pm on Thursday aboard the A321neo LR VH-OFU, landing in Manila at 4:30am. The low-cost carrier is now competing with Philippine Airlines on the route, with three services per week adding more than 72,000 seats a year.

The move is the latest step by the airline in its exploration of AI functionality, including a beta test of an AI trip planner and using AI-driven insights to “help forecast demand and deliver market-driven dynamic airfare pricing”.

Speaking on a sustainability and decarbonisation panel at a Commonwealth Bank event on Wednesday, Vanessa Hudson said Qantas is focusing on sustainable aviation fuel as part of its push to reduce carbon emissions rather than on newer technologies.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Australia will see 12.2 million scheduled seats in December 2025, with 45 per cent of this coming from international capacity.

In his speech at the company’s AGM, Alliance Aviation Services chair James Jackson said the charter, FIFO and wet-lease operator has been looking “to review and seek to renegotiate a major ACMI [aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance] contract” due to unexpected high costs.

The NZ government says the new rules, to come into effect on 22 December, will make it easier for innovative aerospace solutions to be developed and tested without needing approval from the Civil Aviation Authority for each new iteration unless there are “substantial changes” to the operation.