Australian Aviation

Footage from the R66’s cockpit camera showed that the autopilot was engaged while the pilot was “occupied with non-flying related tasks … specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages”, the ATSB said.

A “bomb cyclone” off the NSW coast on Tuesday created heavy rain and strong winds that presented hazards to flying. 38 flights had been cancelled as at 5pm on Tuesday, with more flights scheduled for later in the evening also axed.

The TWU, AFAP and AIPA say more than 90 per cent of Express Freighters pilots have voted yes to action over a pay offer that puts them “at the bottom of the industry”. Low-level actions are set to begin on Friday, including not completing work on days off or before shift commencement.

VH-OGA, named Great Ocean Road, will first travel to Bangkok in what will be the longest flight of the type operated by a commercial airline, before carrying on to the NSW capital. It’s expected to arrive in Australia on Wednesday morning shortly after 10am.

The Victorian state government said Merren McArthur would be tasked with creating a “collaborative and constructive environment” among members of the newly established steering committee, which will include senior figures from the airport, state and federal governments.

In a note to staff, the airline’s domestic chief executive, Markus Svensson, said the midlife aircraft would provide “bridging capacity” and receive new interiors to make them appear as-new to customers.