The Kiwi carrier will add more than 34,000 extra seats between Auckland and North America from October 2025 to March 2026, an 8 per cent increase in US and Canada capacity over the previous year, including a 15 per cent boost to premium seating.

Viswashkumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, is believed to have escaped through an emergency exit after the 787-8 Dreamliner, VT-ANB, crashed shortly after take-off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The plane had been operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick.

The Queensland-based firm plans to use the Transall C-160 fixed-wing aircraft, which can safely land on small regional airstrips for refilling, to bolster its aerial firefighting capabilities in remote and rugged locations. It aims to have all three operational for the 2025–26 fire season.

Arguably one of the most influential figures in our sector’s history, Joyce held the top job at Qantas for 15 years, and was previously in the same position at Jetstar.