Australian Aviation

The first two flights will depart Tel Aviv for London on Friday, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying on Wednesday afternoon that his government is assisting the departure of those Australians who want to leave Israel as fighting continues with Hamas militants.

National secretary Michael Kaine has dismissed the Flying Kangaroo’s announcement of its board refresh, saying the board is in breach of its own code of ethics and that Goyder should follow former CEO Alan Joyce out the door as soon as possible.

Both carriers confirmed to Australian Aviation that they have been in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to help Australian citizens get home from Israel, which has been rocked by sudden attacks from militant group Hamas.

The airline took delivery of its second MAX 8 at the end of September, with another expected by the end of the year and the remaining five in the first half of 2024. The new plane, VH-8IC ‘Kirra Beach’, has joined VH-8IA ‘Monkey Mia’ on the Cairns–Haneda route after a brief period flying domestically.

Goyder, who has faced demands to step down amid the furore surrounding the early exit of former CEO Alan Joyce, will hand over the reins in what the Flying Kangaroo says is part of a larger “board renewal”, recognising the recent damage to the brand and hoping to restore trust in Qantas.

Air Race X will see pilots race at various global sites on a “tight and technical track” at speeds of up to 370km/h and maximum gravity acceleration of 12G, with the flight data then used to create virtual, augmented and mixed-reality images of the planes racing each other.