Australian Aviation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles this week tabled the summary of the safety report into the 2023 Jervis Bay ditching, following a request from Senator Malcolm Roberts.

Industrial action is underway from around 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at several locations in Washington state, Oregon, and California, in yet another headache for the embattled planemaker.

The federal government said the facility would open by the end of the decade and enable the production of motors for the “world’s most advanced missiles”. The news significantly comes shortly after defence technology firm Kongsberg won an $850 million contract to build a factory in Newcastle that will produce long-range F-35 missiles.

Flight QF1871, operated by Alliance E190 VH-UYR, was operating an early-morning service when a pressurisation issue forced the crew to request a priority landing. The flight touched down safely in Rockhampton at around 7:15am.

The vehicle will be launched on a rocket before separating and igniting its own scramjet engines to reach speeds up to Mach 12.

The airline will increase flights between Sydney and its base in Abu Dhabi from daily to 10 per week starting in July 2025, and has signalled it intends to further increase to double daily services in coming years.