Under the new partnership, Quickstep will supply engineering, tooling and manufacturing services for Swoop Aero's KITE unmanned cargo drone.

Bonza, unveiled to the world just last week, is eyeing to enter service in early 2022, with an initial fleet of two to three737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Just 23,000 domestic passengers passed through Sydney Airport in September, down 97.4 per cent since June this year before the east coast's Delta strain outbreak took hold in Sydney, and later Melbourne.

Qantas has been charged with discriminatory conduct and alleged breaches of workplace health and safety laws after it stood down an employee who raised concerns about the risk of COVID-19, while cleaning aircraft inbound from China in early 2020.