Geoff Culbert has pointed the finger squarely at airlines for Sydney’s lagging domestic recovery, which saw passenger numbers last month grow just 1.2 per cent year-on-year to 1.90 million travellers.

Repainting is the final step of the P-8A and E-7A’s deeper maintenance services performed by Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) around every 72 months and involves stripping the aircraft back to bare metal, inspecting and repairing for corrosion, defects and dents, and painting and applying decals.

The Middle Eastern carrier had planned to operate extra flights to destinations like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Federal Transport Minister Catherine King, however, has knocked back expanding Qatar’s air rights.

Dubbed Naarm Way, the road was opened on Tuesday and provides a new dedicated exit that bypasses all intersections between the freeway and the transport hub at Terminal 4. It is the largest road investment Melbourne Airport has made since Airport Drive opened in 2015.