The drones were among multiple items confiscated by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers as part of a Counter Proliferation investigation into the suspected export of military-grade and military end‑use items to Russia, while searching an Eden Hills residence in Adelaide on 27 September.

Pilots from both the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) and Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) voted against the deal, which included a two-year wage freeze followed by annual increases of 3 per cent, as well as a $5,000 “Recovery Boost” payment.

The revelation will add to scepticism that the deal for Qatar to acquire a stake in Virgin is being done to circumvent rules preventing it from flying more services out of Australia.

The issue with the airline’s South Korean booking website last week resulted in some trans-Tasman economy fares as far out as September 2025 going for as low as 6,100 Korean won (under $7), while business fares were seen from 12,500 won ($14).