Jake Nelson

Roy Morgan’s 2025 Trusted Brand Awards saw Australia’s second-largest airline group hold on to the crown it seized from Qantas in 2023, with hardware retailer Bunnings Warehouse named the most trusted brand in the country overall.

The 137-seat regional aircraft will replace the existing Embraer E190s on the service, as well as some 737s, starting in February 2026. Qantas is also planning to increase Sydney-Christchurch by up to two additional flights per week during February and March next year.

The low-cost carrier will operate a seasonal Brisbane–Queenstown service from June–October next year, alongside new daily flights from Hamilton–Christchurch starting 1 December 2025, and will add around 500,000 annual seats on popular trans-Tasman and NZ domestic routes.

The aircraft, which formerly flew for QantasLink as VH-YQW, will reside at Aviation Australia’s Brisbane Airport hangar, and will offer hands-on experience for students at the Qantas Group Engineering Academy. The plane saw its final flight in December last year.

Starting in November this year, Malaysia Airlines will increase Adelaide services from five to six per week, before going daily from 2 February 2026, adding more than 60,000 seats per year. The carrier will also introduce its new 297-seat A330neo aircraft on the route.

Flight BA16 from Sydney to London via Singapore, operated by the 787-9 G-ZBKL, turned around over central western NSW less than an hour into the flight after a pilot made a mayday call due to what was initially reported as a suspected fuel leak.