Jake Nelson

The 1950s de Havilland ‘Drover’, which was previously on display at George McCoy Park after being originally restored in the 1980s by combining two different aircraft, has been gifted to the RFDS after a five-month overhaul, and now can be seen from the highway as visitors approach the airport.

Under the Australia-China Cooperation for Sustainable Aviation project, Adelaide University will look to “strengthen collaboration between Australian and Chinese stakeholders” on faster development and deployment of SAF into the supply chain.

Grimshaw and Mott MacDonald will lead the architectural design and engineering respectively for the program, which will see the T2 and T3 domestic terminals joined into one larger precinct with gates added to serve some international traffic.

17.17 million passengers travelled through Sydney’s T1 international terminal in 2025, with the December quarter also the airport’s busiest in history for international passengers at more than 4.62 million, up 5.9 per cent on the same time in 2024.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Transport Minister Catherine King said the firm, which took ownership of Rex in a $172.5 million deal last December, had “given significant undertakings to the government around regional connectivity”.

Regional and remote airports impacted by Rex’s administration can apply for reimbursement from a pool of $5 million under the Government’s Regional and Remote Airport Support Program, with the aim of preserving regional services while minimising impacts on residents and ratepayers.