As a condition of the deal for Qatar to purchase 25 per cent of Virgin, the domestic carrier pledged to drop its longstanding codeshare with Etihad. The move is likely to hugely damage the UAE carrier, given the tie-up was a major incentive to book.

The aircraft, operated by low-cost carrier Jeju, is thought to have been hit by a bird strike that damaged its landing gear and forced the crew to attempt a “crash landing”.

Financial services firm Caspar, Balthazar & Melchior (CB&M) was sensationally called in as administrator overnight following days of speculation about the carrier’s future, with insiders criticising Claus’ decision to invest in an expensive 747 freighter for a seasonal-only business.

The commercial relief flights came alongside RAAF Globemaster III and C-130J Hercules carrying 568 holidaymakers, workers and other returnees back to Australia.