Tag: Sydney (Page 3 of 6)

Qantas Adds Seven New Routes, Puts Dreamliner on Domestic Route

May 24, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas customers can now book seven new domestic routes and travel on more widebody aircraft between major capital cities to help meet strong demand for domestic travel across Australia.

The new routes – Townsville to Adelaide/Melbourne/Sydney, Adelaide to Cairns/Hobart, Sydney-Uluru and Perth-Gold Coast – provide direct connections and reduce travel time for customers. They bring the total number of routes Qantas and Jetstar have added since the start of the pandemic to 45.

Five of the routes will be operated by Embraer E190 regional jets as part of QantasLink’s partnership with Alliance Airlines. The first Qantas flights operated by the 94-seat E190s took off today between Adelaide, Darwin and Alice Springs.

Customers will also see more widebody aircraft with Business Suites on flights between the East Coast capital cities into Perth and Darwin.

Usually used for long haul international flights including Perth-London, the 236-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will begin operating up to nine Sydney to Perth flights per week.

Widebody Qantas Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which serviced international routes into Asia, will operate on more flights into Darwin from Sydney and Brisbane, and also into Perth from Sydney and Melbourne. These will be added to the A330s already flying on east-west routes.

The additional flying will see Qantas’ capacity exceed 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the coming months and the Group’s market share around 70 per cent.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the new routes would support the growing demand for domestic tourism.

NEW ROUTES

Route	Start Date	Return flights per week	Aircraft
Adelaide – Townsville	August 2021	3 per week	E190
Adelaide – Cairns	August 2021	4 per week	E190
Adelaide – Hobart	September 2021	Up to 7 per week	E190
Sydney – Townsville	September 2021	7 per week	E190
Melbourne – Townsville	September 2021	7 per week	E190
Perth – Gold Coast	September 2021	3 per week	B737
Sydney – Uluru	March 2022	5 per week	B737

Fares are available from today with Qantas offering special fares including $139 on Adelaide-Hobart, $179 on Sydney-Townsville and $229 Perth-Gold Coast. Special fares are available at qantas.com or through Travel Agents, until 11:59pm 27 May, unless sold out prior.

The new flights add to Jetstar’s existing services across six of the routes, providing a range of travel options for Qantas Group customers.

ADDITIONAL WIDEBODY FLYING

Route	Added or upgauged flights	Aircraft	Total weekly flights (all aircraft)
Sydney-Perth	Up to 9 per week	787 Dreamliner	34
Up to 4 per week	A330
Melbourne-Perth	Up to 24 per week	A330	37
Sydney-Darwin	Up to 7 per week	A330	12
Brisbane-Darwin	Up to 3 per week	A330	9

Qantas Group Announces its Balance Sheet Repair is Underway

May 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

A sustained rebound in domestic travel demand, and the performance of its Freight and Loyalty divisions, continues to drive the Qantas Group’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.

Based on current trading conditions the Group expects to be statutory free cash flow positive for the second half of FY21. Net debt levels peaked in February at $6.4 billion and are expected to be lower than they were in December ($6.05 billion) by the end of the financial year.

Liquidity levels remain strong with total funds of $4.0 billion, including cash of $2.4 billion and $1.6 billion of undrawn debt facilities as at 30 April 2021.

The total revenue loss for the Group since the start of COVID is now projected to reach $16 billion by the end of FY21 – however the role of domestic travel demand in the Group’s recovery is highlighted by the fact revenue from domestic flying is expected to almost double between the first and second half of this financial year.

Assuming no further lockdowns or significant domestic travel restrictions, the Group expects to be Underlying EBITDA positive in the range of $400 – 450 million for FY21. At a statutory level before tax, the Group is still expecting a loss in excess of $2 billion, which includes the significant costs associated with previously announced redundancies, aircraft write downs and non-cash depreciation charges.

Click the link below to read the full press release!

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/7978/

Dassault Aviation Launches The Falcon 10X

May 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Saint-Cloud, France, May 06, 2021 – Dassault Aviation today announced an all-new Falcon jet that will deliver a level of comfort, versatility and technology unmatched by any purpose-built business jet. Featuring a range of 7,500 nautical miles, the Falcon 10X will fly nonstop from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney, Hong Kong to New York or Paris to Santiago. Top speed will be Mach 0.925.

The Falcon 10X is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2025.

The 10X will have the biggest and most comfortable cabin on the market and offer greater modularity than any other aircraft in its class, with a selection of multiple interior configurations. The 10X is large enough to accommodate four cabin zones of equal length but owners can configure their cabin to create a truly customized interior, including for example, an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.

The 10X will have a cabin cross section larger than some regional jets. Its cabin will be 6-feet, 8-inches (2.03 m) tall and 9 feet, 1 inch wide (2.77 m). That will make it almost 8 inches (20 cm) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the widest and tallest purpose-built business jet flying today.

Pressurization will also be the best on the market, with passengers experiencing a 3,000-foot cabin pressure altitude while flying at 41,000 feet. A next-generation filtration system will provide 100-percent pure air. The aircraft will be at least as quiet as the Falcon 8X, currently the quietest business jet in service.

The 10X will feature an entirely new fuselage with extra-large windows—nearly 50 percent larger than those on the Falcon 8X. Thirty-eight windows will line the fuselage making for the brightest cabin in business aviation.

The high-speed wing will be made of carbon fiber composites for maximum strength, reduced weight and minimum drag. Tailored for speed and efficiency, the very-high aspect ratio wing will be equipped with advanced, retractable high-lift devices offering superior maneuverability at low approach speeds.

The twin-engine aircraft will be powered by business aviation’s most advanced and efficient engine, the in-development Rolls Royce Pearl® 10X. The 10X is the latest, largest and most powerful version of the Pearl series, delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust.

The Falcon 10X’s flight deck will set a new standard in intuitive design, with touch screens throughout the cockpit. A next-generation Digital Flight Control System, derived directly from Dassault’s latest military technology, will provide an unprecedented level of flying precision and protection, including a revolutionary, new single-button recovery mode.

A single smart throttle will serve as the primary power control, connecting both engines to the Digital Flight Control System which will automatically manage the power of each engine as needed in different flight scenarios.

Thanks to Dassault’s breakthrough FalconEye® combined vision system—the first to offer both enhanced and synthetic vision capabilities—combined with dual HUDs able to serve as primary flight displays, the 10X will be capable of operating in essentially zero ceiling/visibility conditions.

Qantas Starts Flights to Griffith, Australia

March 1, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

QantasLink is today adding Griffith to its map, operating direct flights from Sydney for the first time to meet increased demand for travel within Australia. The inaugural flight QF2121 arrived in Griffith from Sydney at midday with local business and community leaders at the Airport to welcome the aircraft’s arrival. The service will operate daily with the airline’s turboprop 50-seat Q300 aircraft, adding more than 700 seats on the route each week.

Speaking from Griffith to mark the inaugural flight, QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new route reinforced the national carrier’s commitment to supporting regional Australia. “As the national carrier, we have an important role to play in driving tourism and supporting the industry in its recovery from COVID-19. We know Australians want to travel so we’ve been looking for opportunities to support new routes where there is demand and help deliver a boost for local businesses. We’re working with tourism partners to promote the world-class wineries and fresh produce of the beautiful Riverina region to millions of our frequent flyers around the country”.

Qantas (QAN.AX) is also today launching a new regional route from Melbourne to Merimbula. Since the start of COVID-19, the Qantas Group has announced or commenced flying on 26 new routes across Australia, reflecting new travel demand patterns.

The route launch follows a new suite of initiatives introduced for customers, including a boost to flexibility allowing unlimited flight changes until at least February 2022.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has introduced a number of initiatives improve safety and peace-of-mind when travelling domestically through its Fly Well program, including masks on board, hand sanitising stations and enhanced aircraft cleaning.

Virgin Australia Hosts Wedding in the Sky

February 21, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

A Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Sydney has played host to the airline’s first-ever mid-air wedding today, for Melbourne couple, Elaine Tiong and Luke Serdar.

Stunned passengers, onboard flight VA841, looked on as Elaine walked down the aircraft aisle wearing a striking white ensemble, before Australian actress, singer and now well-known wedding celebrant, Tottie Goldsmith, solemnised the nuptials, with the couple officially tying the knot at 40,000 feet, as the aircraft flew over Canberra in the ACT.

Dubbed, a Wedding in the Sky, Elaine, 35, a stylist, and Luke, 36, an electrician, who hail from Prahran in Melbourne’s inner eastern suburbs, said they were looking for an unconventional wedding without the fuss.

“We actually had planned to marry onboard a Virgin Australia flight on Valentine’s Day, but we had to postpone when the Victorian lockdown came into play just 24-hours before the big day, so after a false start, we couldn’t be happier to finally tie the knot today,” said Luke.

As a result of strict COVID-19 regulations, the couple first kissed as husband and wife upon disembarkation of the aircraft in Sydney, where they were finally able to remove their face masks.

Virgin Australia is well-known for their mid-air celebrations. From onboard marriage proposals, to Australia’s first-ever fashion show on a passenger flight, to achieving a Guinness World Record with the Black Eyes Peas performing at 41,000 feet, and now a Wedding in the Sky.

Qantas Adds New Routes to North Coast for Holidays by the Sea

February 18, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Three new routes to Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay (Ballina)
Additional seats to Coffs Harbour from Sydney for April school holidays
Sale fares on new routes from $129 one-way

Qantas has today announced it will add three new routes and extra seats to the New South Wales north coast to support growing demand for holidays in Australia. From 1 April 2021, Qantas will launch three new routes to both Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay (Ballina).

Melbourne to Coffs Harbour – flights will operate daily with Qantas’ Boeing 717 aircraft, adding more than 1,750 seats on the route each week.

Brisbane to Coffs Harbour – flights will operate four days per week with the turboprop Q400 aircraft, adding around 600 seats on the route each week.

Canberra to Byron Bay – Qantas’ first ever direct service connecting the two destinations, offering two flights per week with the turboprop Q400 aircraft. Flights will initially operate in April and Qantas will look to continue the service from July in line with demand.

More seats will also be added between Sydney and Coffs Harbour with the introduction of Qantas’ larger two-class B717 aircraft during the April school holidays, operating alongside the Q400 which also operate on the route. This will see Qantas offer around 500 extra seats on the route each week (a total of 4,300 seats), and the option to travel in Business.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said these new routes would provide Australians with more options to plan their next holiday in their own backyard.

“The beautiful coastal hubs of Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour continue to be incredibly popular with travellers, so it makes sense to provide direct connections from other capital cities to make them even more accessible.

“Travellers from Canberra can spend more time on the beach and less time on their journey with our direct service to Byron Bay.

“We’ll be promoting these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers across the country and think they’ll enjoy the benefits of our premium service, including complimentary food and drinks, baggage and lounge access before they fly out.

Qantas is offering special fares for flights on the new routes from $129 one-way for periods of travel between April and October, available at qantas.com or through Travel Agents, until 11:59pm 21 February 2021, unless sold out prior.

Qantas currently operates up to 20 return flights per week between Sydney and Ballina Byron Bay and 28 weekly return flights between Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

The announcement follows a suite of customer initiatives unveiled last week, including a boost to flexibility allowing unlimited flight changes until at least January 2022.

Rex Refreshes Uniforms For Domestic Launch

January 23, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

As Rex’s inaugural domestic services between Sydney and Melbourne fast approach, Rex today unveils its refreshed cabin crew uniforms.

The new uniform retains the essence of Rex’s signature country hospitality but is presented in a classic yet elegant style.

Rex’s National Flight Attendant Manager, Donna Griffith, said, “This fresh new look is intended to contemporise Rex’s signature country hospitality. We have chosen a clean, fuss-free look that is simple yet elegant. Materials and cut have been carefully selected to provide comfort and practicality for my cabin crew.”

“We are very proud that our uniforms are not designed by any famous designer. As with everything else we do in Rex, we have done everything in-house, from the design to the selection of material. This is who we are. This is what we do. This is why we are one of the most successful airlines in the world.”

Rex services between Sydney and Melbourne commence on 1 March 2021 with fares on sale from $79. Other city services will follow shortly after.

Please refer to the photos appended to this media release.

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab340 aircraft (pre-COVID) on 1,500 weekly flights to 59 destinations throughout all states in Australia. Rex will begin its domestic services with six 737-800NGs in March 2021. In addition to the airline Rex, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation (air freight, aeromedical and charter operator) and the two pilot academies, Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.

Rex Airlines Takes Delivery of First Boeing 737-800ng in Full Livery

December 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Rex Airlines marks another major milestone tomorrow, as the first of its Boeing 737-800NGs lands in Sydney in full Rex livery (airline colours). The aircraft arrived in Brisbane today just after 7:30pm on a transit stop after its major scheduled check overseas. The aircraft is due to touch down in Sydney at 8:30am on Christmas Eve.

Planespotters will be in for a treat as they finally get to see Rex’s official livery on its Boeing 737 in the Sydney skies.

Rex has leased six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft in readiness for its inaugural service from Melbourne to Sydney commencing 1 March 2021.

Brisbane will be added to Rex’s capital city network after Easter.

Rex’s Deputy Chairman the Hon John Sharp AM said, “The livery of Australia’s favourite Regional Airline is now emblazoned on a 737, ready for take-off. It’s a historic moment.”

“Our second 737 is currently being painted by Douglas Aerospace at one of the country’s finest aircraft paint facilities in Wagga Wagga. The remaining four 737s are undergoing scheduled checks and will be brought in-country over the next 3 months.”

“With Rex’s entry into the domestic market, passengers are no longer forced to choose between cheap fares that come with limited service and reliable service with premium fares. Rex is bringing its renowned country hospitality to the capital city market, offering twice the value at half the cost. This is the shake-up Australia’s domestic aviation sector has been crying out for and it could not have come at a better time, as Australia struggles to recover from the worst pandemic in the last century.”

To celebrate its launch, Rex is offering 100,000 special $79 fares between Melbourne and Sydney on sale now at rex.com.au.

Qantas Adds More Travel Options for Customers Across Australia

December 17, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas has today announced a major expansion to its regional network, adding seven new routes across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, in response to customer demand.

The announcement means Qantas will be flying to five more destinations across Australia than it was pre-COVID (up from 57 to 62). The airline also today begins flying direct from Sydney to Merimbula on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast for the first time.

NEW ROUTES

Route	Start date	Frequency (return flights per week)
Sydney – Griffith	1 Feb 2021	Daily
Melbourne – Newcastle	1 Feb 2021	Twelve
Melbourne – Merimbula	1 Feb 2021	Four
Melbourne – Mount Gambier	28 March 2021	Five
Melbourne – Wagga Wagga	28 March 2021	Four
Melbourne – Albury	28 March 2021	Four
Adelaide – Mount Gambier	28 March 2021	Five

Qantas is offering special fares for flights on the new routes from $125 one-way, available at qantas.com or through Travel Agents, until 20 December 2020, unless sold out prior.

The flights will largely be operated by the airline’s 50-seat Q300 turboprop aircraft, with upgraded cabin interiors, adding more than 320,000 seats to these regional destinations each year.

Qantas has already introduced a number of initiatives to encourage customers to book with  greater flexibility, as well as to improve safety and peace-of-mind when travelling domestically through its  Fly Well program.

ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS

– Melbourne-Gold Coast weekly flights will double – from daily to twice daily – from April 2021 with the new schedule to cater for both corporate and leisure travellers.

– Sydney-Orange flights will increase from three days per week to daily from February 2021.

– Melbourne-Launceston flights will be upgraded from a Q400 aircraft to a larger Boeing 717, adding more than 400 seats on the route each week.

– A number of seasonal routes originally scheduled for the summer have been extended to operate year-round, including Perth-Hobart, Canberra-Hobart, Sydney-Merimbula and Brisbane-Port Macquarie.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said these new routes were a great opportunity for travellers to explore the best of regional Australia.

“As the national carrier, we have an important role to play in driving tourism and supporting the industry’s recovery,” said Mr Gissing.

“Before COVID, more than 11 million Australians travelled overseas each year, so these flights will help convert some of these international trips into domestic holidays instead.

“We know there is significant pent up demand for travel. These new flights will help more Australians explore some of the incredible places in their own backyard and drive tourism, which is so vital to the local economies of regional areas.

“We’ll be promoting these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers across the country in the lead up to the flights commencing next year.

“We’re also pleased to be able to offer locals more choice and competitive fares on these routes, most of which have been monopolies for years.”

Since domestic border restrictions started to ease in July, Qantas has announced or commenced flying on 13 new routes across Australia. Today’s announcement brings that number to 20.

Qantas has been progressively “waking up” its domestic and regional aircraft to support this new flying, with the vast majority of the airline’s regional fleet expected to be operational by early 2021.

“All our aircraft carry fixed costs, regardless of whether they’re grounded or not. We’d rather get as many aircraft back in the air as we can because it’s better for our business, our customers and gets more of our people back to work,” added Mr Gissing.

Qantas flights continue to have complimentary baggage and food and drink included with every seat. The airline has now opened 30 of its 35 domestic and regional lounges across its network.

Today is the last day to register for Qantas’ Status Fast Track initiative that has seen thousands of members from other airlines switching to Qantas Frequent Flyer to take advantage of the national carrier’s extensive lounge and flying network.

Qantas is also offering customers the opportunity to join its Frequent Flyer program for free until 31 January 2021 via qantas.com/freejoin. Travellers will be able to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on the new routes as well as using their points to book flights.

Happy 100th Birthday, Qantas Airlines!

November 15, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (QANTAS) today marks 100 years since it was founded in the Australian outback.

On 16 November 1920, two veterans of the Australian Flying Corps, Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness, together with local grazier Fergus McMaster, founded what would later become the national carrier.

This happened just 17 years after the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers, two years after the end of World War One and at the tail end of the last major global pandemic, the Spanish Flu.

The new airline focused on conquering the “tyranny of distance” that was a major barrier to the growth of modern Australia. Its early chances of success were uncertain, to the point early backers called their investment “a donation”.

Initially carrying mail between outback towns, the airline was flying passengers to Singapore by the 1930’s. By the end of the 1940’s its strategic importance saw it nationalised and in the 1960’s, it was an early adopter of the jet aircraft that mainstreamed global travel. Qantas invented business class in the 1970’s, switched to an all-747 fleet in the 1980’s, was privatised in the 1990’s, founded Jetstar in 2004, went through major restructuring in 2014 and, by 2020, had recently completed several important ‘firsts’ in non-stop travel to Europe and the US.

Qantas is the oldest continuously-operating airline in the world and the only one that (normally) flies to every single inhabited continent on earth.

Planned centenary celebrations have been significantly scaled back due to the impact of COVID-19, but Qantas will still mark the occasion with a low-level flyover of Sydney Harbour on the evening of its anniversary.

The flight path is expected to pass near Rose Bay where our Empire Flying Boats took off for Singapore between 1938 and 1942.

Qantas Chairman, Richard Goyder, said: “The history of Qantas shows it’s no stranger to a challenge or a crisis. That’s often when its role as the national carrier has really come to the fore.

“We want to use this moment to say thank you to all those who have supported Qantas over the years. And, in particular, to the many people who have dedicated some or all of their careers to this great company.”

Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said: “Around the world, Qantas is probably best known for its safety record, endurance flying and long list of aviation firsts. But for Australians, there’s nothing quite like seeing the flying kangaroo at the airport, waiting to take you home. We hope to be doing a lot more of that in the months and years ahead.”

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