Three superjumbos – VH-OQC, VH-OQH and VH-OQK – have now left the Californian desert and will receive extensive cabin upgrades before returning home.
Australian Aviation can reveal that airlines will only need to fly 70 per cent of their allocated take-off times in order to prevent rivals from taking over the service until late October.
The Indonesian island is Jetstar’s most popular international destination and its recent ticket sale there saw its biggest surge in bookings since 2016.
It’s not yet known whether the two new services will spell the end of the current layover in Darwin, which Qantas has repeatedly hinted could remain in some capacity.
According to a report Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the flight crew of a Rex Saab 340 did not detect the aircraft’s reducing airspeed, prompting the stick shaker warning, while attempting to respond to a separate fault.
Qantas Group’s pilot union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, has elected A330 check and training captain Anthony Lucas as its newest president.