Australian Aviation

The stricken low-cost carrier had “played a key role in connecting regional hubs across the domestic network”, the competition watchdog noted in its latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report, as it tried to stimulate demand on routes not served by other airlines.

In its latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report, the ACCC found 4.9 million domestic passengers flew with Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Rex and Bonza in March 2024, representing 98.8 per cent of March 2019 levels, with seat capacity also barely below pre-pandemic figures at 6.2 million.

Starting today (Tuesday), passengers on Qantas flights to Singapore are able to connect seamlessly to IndiGo services into Delhi and Mumbai. The move follows IndiGo being allowed to place its code on Qantas flights from Singapore to Australia last year.

ASLA, formerly Pionair, is based at Bankstown Airport and offers passenger and cargo charter and wet-leasing services across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The new freighter, VH-CYK, is its first B737-800BCF, with the airline primarily operating the BAe146.

The Flying Kangaroo now says the disruption later caused by the Delta strain of COVID-19 would have meant it would have had no choice but to let 1,700 ground handlers go anyway after they were made redundant earlier in the pandemic.

It comes after reports revealed taxpayers will pay $450 million for the two new Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) because the cost of leasing replacements for 12 years rose from $372 million to $550 million, making an outright purchase more affordable.