Australian Aviation

Chauncey McIntosh replaces Bridget Lauderdale, who will be retiring at the end of the year following a 38-year career with the company. The RAAF has a planned final fleet of 72 F-35s – which are still arriving – but has ruled out adding more aircraft.

The TWU has reached an in-principle agreement with Ampol that will see pay rise by 28 per cent over the next three years, as well as more permanent full-time roles, higher rates for weekends and night shifts, and a pledge that the company will consult workers before major operational changes.

The aircraft, to be based in Broome, will support PHI’s offshore energy transportation activities, as well as search and rescue and medevac operations. The company has three Australian bases in Broome, Exmouth and Darwin.

The Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill implements a number of changes to take-off slots in Sydney, though stops short of changing the controversial “80/20 rule”.

Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs flew air combat training missions with Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornets and SU-30MKM Flankers during the training exercise from 30 September to 4 October.

The YouGov poll for the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), which surveyed a representative sample of 1,044 Australians, found that 71 per cent approved of the federal government stepping in to support Rex in maintaining its regional network.