Jake Nelson

Speaking to Sunrise, Angus Mitchell said the student pilot – identified in The Advertiser as 21-year-old Youngin Kim – was “very fortunate” to have escaped uninjured in the accident, which saw the Cessna 172M Skyhawk, understood to be registered VH-LGE, burst into flames, sparking a grass fire.

The company, which will replace Rotor-Lift for aerial EMS in the state starting 12 January, says that most of its advertised pilot, air crew officer, and aircraft maintenance engineer positions have been filled by Rotor-Lift employees.

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.