Australian Aviation

According to Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, international airfares are currently 50 per cent higher than they were pre-pandemic, and increasing aviation capacity between Australia and other key regions will help bring down cost of living pressures.

The minister has expressed concern that Archerfield Airport Corporation’s (AAC) current draft Master Plan – which is intended to replace the existing one from 2017 – has insufficient detail in some areas around environmental impact management, land use, and future development.

The airline dropped below even long-time worst performer Jetstar, with 58.9 per cent on-time departures and 59.2 per cent on-time arrivals, compared to Jetstar’s 66.3 per cent and 68.1 per cent respectively. Of Virgin’s flights, 5.3 per cent were cancelled, compared to Jetstar’s 3.3 per cent.

Speaking to a Senate inquiry in Adelaide on Monday, Christian Bennett, Virgin’s head of sustainability and corporate affairs, said the decision by Transport Minister Catherine King not to grant Qatar more direct flights is boosting the Flying Kangaroo at Virgin’s expense.

The airshow, which was created by the team behind the Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach, California, attracted around 200–300,000 total attendees over the weekend, either paid or watching from a distance. Organisers have now told local media that there is room to grow up to half as much again.

Celebrating the man who didn’t much care for the odds   During my research for my feature on the life of Max Hazelton, I managed to track down the newspaper clippings detailing the incredible search for him after his plane crash in 1954. The operation to find the grazier quickly became the biggest in Australian