Jake Nelson

The inaugural UA207 service touched down in Adelaide at around 9:30am on Saturday morning aboard the 787-9 Dreamliner N29975. Flights will operate three times per week until March, with the possibility of later expansion.

The video, shot from on board VH-DVS over Tully, Queensland, on 20 September this year, shows jumper Adrian Ferguson’s reserve parachute inadvertently deploying after it snagged the handle as he was leaving the plane, causing him to be blown backwards.

The Tasmanian capital will see 11 per cent more passengers over the end-of-year peak than in 2024, boosted by route launches this year to destinations including Perth and Newcastle, with the state government also expanding its Aviation Attraction Fund.

The Gulf carrier was set to replace its 787-9s and 777-300ERs on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route with A350-1000s on 31 January following their introduction in October, but has moved the timetable up citing popular demand. The aircraft features 44 business suites and 327 economy seats.

Passengers with only carry-on baggage are now able to proceed directly from the airport’s skywalk into the new mezzanine screening area, which will have 10 lanes and is planned to be fully open to all passengers by Christmas.

The carrier is set to increase capacity by 12 per cent from Brisbane to Auckland, and 7 per cent to each of Christchurch and Wellington, from March to October 2026. It comes as a seasonal service from Brisbane to Queenstown is set to run from June to October.