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Australia aviation news

Is Australia’s regional turboprop fleet aging well? Why OEM support matters more than build year

Regional turboprop fleets show stark disparities in age, reliability, and economic viability. Many aircraft are approaching end‑of‑life, while others are increasingly difficult to operate as spare‑parts supply chains become slower, less predictable, and significantly more expensive. For a growing number of operators, monthly OpEx required to keep ageing fleets airworthy now exceeds the CapEx they...

Qantas charters NFL teams to Melbourne ahead of historic first game

The Los Angeles Rams have touched down in Melbourne on a Qantas charter flight ahead of Friday's NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first regular season game the league has played in Australia. Qantas also flew the San Francisco 49ers to Melbourne last week, with both teams travelling on A380s from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Each charter covered around 12,900 kilometres with...

ALSIM expands its presence in Oceania with the installation of the Airliner at Sydney Flight College

ALSIM has marked an important new step in its Australian growth with the installation of its Airliner simulator at Sydney Flight College (SFC). This deployment strengthens the company’s role in delivering advanced, airline‑focused pilot training and further reinforces its long‑term commitment to elevating aviation training standards across the Oceania region. The Airliner is an FNPT...

Horizon Airways doubles down on fleet modernization with order for second Tecnam P2012 STOL

Queensland-based Horizon Airways has signed an order for a second Tecnam P2012 STOL aircraft. Slated to join the Australian fleet by the end of 2026, this subsequent order rapidly builds upon the historic introduction of the country's first P2012 STOL, signaling a massive leap forward for regional air travel. Operating since 1994, Horizon Airways is a vital lifeline for com...

SkyDrive signs Australia’s first eVTOL agreement with Gold Coast Helitours

SkyDrive signed a Letter of Intent with Gold Coast Helitours, a premier helicopter operator based in the Gold Coast, Australia. This milestone agreement represents SkyDrive's first LOI with an Australian operator regarding the introduction of its aircraft. The parties have reached a basic agreement on the terms for purchasing up to five "SKYDRIVE" eVTOL aircraft which encom...

Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport to unlock more flights, airport expansion

Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport have reached a commercial agreement in relation to key terms that will pave the way for more flights, international lounge upgrades, check-in enhancements and delivery of the airport’s third runway. The agreement with the Qantas Group will help support Melbourne Airport’s $4.5 billion international terminal expansion program, including five additional...

Horizon Aircraft secures LOI with V-Star Powered Lift Aviation for the purchase of up to 100 hybrid eVTOLs for $600 million

Horizon Aircraft has signed a Letter of Intent with V-Star Powered Lift Aviation, an Australian-based aircraft operator specializing in advanced power-lift aircraft, to purchase 5 Cavorite X7 hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft with options to purchase up to an additional 95 aircraft. V-Star intends to secure the delivery slots for these 5 aircraft with a firm deposit upon execution of the def...

Adelaide Aviation chooses Tecnam P-Mentor

South Australia based Adelaide Aviation selected Tecnam P-Mentor as its primary trainer, and will take immediate delivery of two (2) aircraft, facilitated by Tecnam’s Australian representative, Hallmarc Aviation. Sherman Anthoney, CEO, Adelaide Aviation Pty Ltd, commented: “Our goal is to produce safe, capable, and adaptable pilots, efficiently. After evaluating multiple t...

Australia to the World, non-stop: Qantas launch history-making flights to London

Qantas will launch its world-first non-stop services between Sydney and London from October 2027, the first time the Kangaroo Route has ever been flown without stops from Australia's east coast. This announcement comes as the national carrier unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR in Qantas livery at Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse, the result of years of development to c...

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia expands Falcon 7X heavy maintenance capability in Sydney

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia is expanding its Falcon maintenance capability in Sydney, with new investments in specialist tooling, training and technical resources to support upcoming Falcon 7X heavy maintenance work. The company is preparing to undertake Falcon 7X C-checks, with work commencing in October 2026. C-checks on the Falcon 7X are the largest scheduled maintenance events and are du...

Bombardier Defense to provide three Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft for maritime surveillance in Australia

Bombardier Defense will provide three Global 6500 aircraft to fly maritime surveillance missions for the Australian Border Force. Metrea - the originator and leading provider of effects-as-a-service to national security partners - will operate the aircraft for the Australian Border Force. This program will introduce the Global platform in Australia in a spec...

Future of safe regional air travel in Torres Strait touches down with Horizon Airways & Australia's first P2012 STOL

A historic milestone for Australian aviation - Queensland-based Horizon Airways introduces country’s first Tecnam P2012 STOL aircraft to its fleet. Operating since 1994, Horizon Airways has been a lifeline for communities across Central, Western, and Northern Queensland. The introduction of this purpose-built aircraft will revolutionize regional air travel in the Tor...