Jake Nelson

Speaking on the investigation into the 29 January 2025 disaster, which killed all 67 people on an American Airlines CRJ700 and a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the NTSB, said “system flaws” aligned to cause the crash.

VH-VKK departed Melbourne this week for the cabin update, which will see new seating for both business and economy passengers, on-board Wi-Fi, and lie-flat crew rest bunks. The first aircraft is expected to be completed by the end of March, with all 11 787-8s to be progressively refreshed.

The low-cost carrier currently flies four times per week between Adelaide and Denpasar using its 180-seat A320-200 aircraft, and the daily services will “create more than 56,000 seats per year” through Adelaide. Bali is Adelaide’s largest and fastest-growing international destination.

The airline will begin seasonal 737-800 flights between the nation’s capital and Bali from 22 June, with the service planned to run between April and January in future. Flights will operate three times per week, adding more than 40,000 seats each year on the route.

Airservices CEO Rob Sharp will meet A4ANZ chairman Graeme Samuel following a number of staffing headaches at the national air traffic management provider, including a chaotic day at Sydney Airport on 15 January that led to extensive delays and cancellations.

The new all-time high – up 4.1 per cent on 2024 – comes after more than 2.4 million passengers used Adelaide Airport in the December quarter, representing year-on-year growth of 6.4 per cent, and as more international airlines introduce year-round services.