Australian Aviation

United Airlines flight 839, on board the 787-9 N19951, and American Airlines flight 73, on board the 777-300ER N730AN, chose to divert to Canberra rather than hold at Sydney, which was having technical difficulties with the instrument landing system at runway 16L.

According to figures in the Airservices Network Overview report for December 2023, there are now 389 Airbus and Boeing planes in Australia’s skies as of 31 December 2023, compared to 370 in 2022 and 382 in 2019.

The multi-million-dollar upgrades originally planned for completion this year, which will overhaul the international terminal including passenger and border processing facilities to better support overseas flights, have been set back due in part to “supply chain issues”, airport management said in a statement just before the new year.

Three 737 MAX 8s and one 737-800 leased to Flair from a trio of Ireland-based lessors were repossessed last March over unpaid fees, which reportedly resulted in 777 Partners sending planes that had been earmarked for Bonza to Flair in order to make up the shortfall.

Airservices figures showed 2,645 regular passenger transport (RPT) flights on 22 December, with 1,959 domestic and 686 international flights, the highest daily figure since 26 September 2019. On average, December 2023 saw 3,546 passenger flights per day, 97 per cent of 2019 levels.

The Royal Australian Air Force is sending six F-35A Lightning II aircraft, a tactical command and control team as well as 150 RAAF aviators to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for the distinguished air combat training contest in the USA from January 15 to February 2.