Australian Aviation

The rubber-stamping of the purchase, first muted in January 2021, came alongside a commitment to spend $360 million for base upgrades at HMAS Albatross to accommodate the helicopters.

It significantly follows Virgin and Bonza announcing an expansion of their fleets, as domestic aviation marks a strong recovery in Australia.

The unique design celebrates Dubai’s recently opened Museum of the Future, a squashed, ring-shaped building created from 1,024 pieces of stainless steel.

The government has though stressed it is yet to determine the size of the fleet, despite reports claiming 40 drones were ordered for $1.3 billion.

It follows the federal government announcing it would gift Ukraine 20 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles – including 14 with Protected Weapon Systems and two ambulance variants – alongside six M777 howitzers with ammunition.

The GA-8 landed 300 metres further than intended, leading to the aircraft becoming damaged and its landing gear detaching. Neither the pilot nor seven passengers were injured.