Vietnamese VietJet has applied to launch an Australian domestic service

This is fantastic news and hopefully it can, pardon the pun, really take off. The prices airlines charge here in Australia, especially Qantas, are absolutely outrageous. This proposal could be one of the biggest changes to Australian aviation in years, but it’s important to separate what’s already happened from what’s still just on the table. 

What's happened so far: 

Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet has applied to launch domestic Australian services, making it the first serious new entrant to challenge the established airlines since the collapse of Bonza in 2024. The application is currently subject to Australian regulatory approvals.

If approved, VietJet would join a market currently dominated by:

• Qantas
• Jetstar
• Virgin Australia
• Rex (on its remaining regional services)

Why would VietJet do this?
Australia has some of the highest domestic airfares in the developed world, particularly on leisure routes.

VietJet has built its business in Asia around:

• very low operating costs
• high aircraft utilisation
• charging separately for extras like baggage, meals and seat selection
• stimulating demand with very low headline fares

The company appears to believe it can bring that model to Australia.

What aircraft would they likely use?
VietJet already operates:

• Airbus A320
• Airbus A321
• Airbus A330 (using this on international routes now)

For domestic Australia, aviation analysts expect the airline would mainly use the A321neo, which seats around 230 passengers and has the range to fly virtually any domestic route economically.

Likely first routes:
Nothing has been officially announced, but industry observers expect the first routes would be the busiest routes, known as the triangle route, such as:

• Melbourne–Sydney
• Melbourne–Brisbane
• Sydney–Brisbane

These routes already have strong demand and enough passenger volume for a low-cost carrier.

Could fares really fall?
Potentially yes.

When low-cost airlines enter busy markets, incumbents often respond with:

• sale fares
• increased capacity
• more frequent promotions

Even travelers who never fly the new entrant can sometimes benefit because competitors' lower prices.
However, Australia presents challenges that don't exist in Southeast Asia:

• high airport charges
• relatively expensive labour
• long stage lengths
• limited airport slots availability, especially in Sydney. (Although with the new Western Sydney Airport opening up and no curfew, slot times will not be an issue)
• smaller population spread over vast distances

Those factors make it harder to sustain ultra-cheap fares over the long term. 

The biggest hurdle:

The history of new Australian airlines isn't encouraging.
Recent examples include:

• Bonza (collapsed in 2024)
• Tigerair Australia (closed in 2020)
• Compass Airlines (failed twice in the 1990s)

Each entered the market promising cheaper fares but struggled with profitability, competition and operational costs.

VietJet has one advantage those airlines largely lacked: it is already a profitable international airline with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft and an established business across Asia and Australia. That provides greater financial backing than many previous start-ups.

What needs to happen next?
Before domestic flights can begin, VietJet would need to:

• obtain Australian regulatory approvals
• establish an Australian operating structure
• secure aircraft and crews for domestic operations
• negotiate airport slots and ground handling
• announce routes and begin ticket sales

At this stage, no domestic routes have been announced, and no launch date has been confirmed. The airline has applied to enter the market, but approval and implementation are still ahead.

If VietJet is successful, it "could" become the most significant new competitor in Australian domestic aviation in more than a decade, with the greatest impact likely to be lower fares on the busiest east-coast routes.

VietJet Air is a Vietnamese low-cost airline headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City. It began commercial operations in 2011 as Vietnam's first privately owned airline and has expanded rapidly since then. 

Today it operates:

• More than 120 routes
• Around 420 daily flights
• Over 100 Airbus aircraft
• Services across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, India and Australia. 

Qantas diverted flight leaves passengers sitting on the plane for 4 and 1/2 hours

Frustrated Qantas passengers described their experience on a diverted flight as a major breakdown in customer care, communication, and decision-making.

Flight QF281 departed Brisbane (BNE/YBBN) 9.41 am Brisbane time (11.41 am Wellington time) bound for Wellington (WLG/NZWN), however, the flight was diverted to Auckland (AKL/NZAA) after poor weather closed in over the capital's airport, the airline confirmed.

In a Qantas press release the plane landed in Auckland at 2.40 pm (Auckland time) then remained on the tarmac at Auckland Airport because of “operational and administrative complexities”.

In an emailed statement to the media at 7.35pm, Qantas said customers had now disembarked and would be reaccommodated on the next available services to Wellington, apologising to passengers for the experience and saying staff were working to get them on their way as soon as possible.

Qantas confirmed the next day that passengers have been reaccommodated on an Auckland to Wellington flight departing at midday, however, formal complaints made to the airline, paints a more chaotic picture.

A passenger wrote that the aircraft had aborted two landing attempts at Wellington before diverting to Auckland, where passengers were then held in the plane on the tarmac for close to four-and-a-half hours. After they were finally released, a further one hour and forty-five minutes passed before their bags were returned to them.

Passenger said there was no electronic communication from Qantas and no ground staff providing information about overnight accommodation or how passengers would reach their intended destination.

Concerns were also raised about young children on board, including unaccompanied minors, with the passenger saying keeping children confined to the aircraft for four hours was unacceptable and totally ridiculous. Complainants mentioned that by the time passengers reached a hotel, more than twelve-and-a-half hours had passed since a meal had been provided.

Another passenger mentioned that the cabin crew on the aircraft were excellent, but they also hadn’t been given any information to share with travelers. Sondra Bacharach told the media just before 10 p.m. that although the airline had arranged accommodation for passengers, there was still no word on the next steps for flights.

“They’ve told us nothing about when and where we are flying next. There has been no food provided, we haven’t had dinner, only a small amount of water,” she said.

“Flight attendants told us customs immigrations would not allow us to disembark and later told us there were visa issues for some people not being allowed back into Australia.”

She said while the staff on the plane had been wonderful, the lack of communication had been “frustrating”, we’ve had one meal since 9am and we are all really tired and very hungry.”

Earlier, the stranded travelers were reportedly told that the flight would eventually divert back to Wellington or Brisbane, according to a passenger’s friend who spoke to the media.

“It’s just crazy—they’ve spent the whole day on the plane, flown around New Zealand’s airspace, and now they might have to return to Australia,” she said.

“There was no proper explanation from Qantas on why passengers weren’t allowed to disembark in Auckland.” When first asked about the incident, Qantas did not elaborate on why the plane remained on the tarmac with its passengers still inside, when the situation might change, or where it would fly next.

“We don’t have that information, sorry,” the spokesperson initially said.

Airbus A380 to be inspected urgently after cracks found in aircraft

Airbus said it would inspect 16 A380 planes, five of them immediately, after cracks were found in a key wing component on aircraft used by the Emirates and Qantas airlines.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has demanded urgent inspections requiring airlines to examine the wing-spar structure on the affected jets after inspectors found cracks during routine maintenance checks. The cracks appeared in a structural beam that runs along the wing and carries much of the aerodynamic load during flight.

Of the 16 planes to be inspected, 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas.

The five aircraft to be inspected immediately are flown by Emirates and will undergo the process as soon as Wednesday. Airlines using the A380 include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Etihad Airways, ANA and Asiana Airlines.

Emirates operates the largest A380 fleet in the world, flying more than half of all active super jumbos.

Cracks on an aircraft that "could reduce the structural integrity of the wing" were discovered during inspections ordered by EASA in a directive issued in December 2025, the European plane maker said. All A380s "with the same production history" have been identified, and Airbus will carry out immediate inspections on five aircraft.

The safety regulator has lashed national carrier Qantas over a "cascade of errors" that saw a 1.25-metre tool left in an engine for 300 hours of flying time. The French-based plane manufacturer will discuss with EASA whether repairs are necessary, an Airbus spokesperson said.

The 11 other aircraft can be inspected later but before their 13th flight, that is, 25 cycles with one cycle consisting of a flight, a take-off and a landing. The A380 has faced wing-related problems before and the EASA in 2012 ordered inspections after cracks were found in brackets linking the wing skin to internal ribs. That affected the entire global A380 fleet and led to a costly repair programme which Airbus addressed through design changes on planes produced later.

Small plane crashes into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper

On Friday, a small plane took off from Beijing's Shifosi Airport (ZBPG) and crashed into the CITIC Tower, the tallest building in the city, damaging part of the structure and scattering debris onto the streets below.

Videos on social media captured the moment of impact, with pieces of the aircraft falling from the 108-storey tower that houses the state-owned CITIC Group’s headquarters. Photos from the scene showed damage to the building, including two shattered glass panels, and the aircraft’s tail section lying on the ground. A nearby taxi had a smashed window, and the crash sparked a small fire at street level, smoke rising from the spot where debris landed.

The CITIC Tower, which has 108 floors above ground and seven basement levels, is one of Beijing's most recognisable landmarks and can accommodate around 12,000 office workers. According to Reuters, police quickly sealed off roads surrounding the building and restricted access to the area. Witnesses told the news agency that officers prevented people from recording the aftermath and asked some bystanders to delete photographs and videos taken at the scene. The Reuters report also said that images and videos of the crash were removed from Chinese social media platforms, although footage remained available on X.

A closer examination of images circulating online suggested the aircraft was a Sunward SA60L Aurora, a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft roughly the size of a car. The aircraft is produced by a Chinese general aviation company that provides services including pilot training, recreational flying, and aerial photography. Neither the aircraft manufacturer nor the Chinese authorities had issued an official statement on the crash at the time of publication.

The incident comes against the backdrop of tighter airspace controls in Beijing. Since the 1st of May authorities have enforced sweeping restrictions on drones, requiring government approval before residents can buy, rent, or operate unmanned aircraft.

The cause of the crash and whether there are any casualties were not immediately known.

Aircraft Information:

Owner/operator: Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation

Aircraft: Sunward SA 60L Aurora

Registration: B-12PP

Serial Number: SA60LS00313

Engine: 100 hp Rotax 912ULS 4-cylinder

We’re keeping family and friends in our thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.

Strong head winds force a Qantas flight to make an unexpected remote landing

A few days ago, a Qantas flight from London’s Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) to Perth (PER/YPPH) had to make an unscheduled stop in the West Australian mining town of Karratha (KTA/YPKA) after strong headwinds left it without enough fuel to finish the trip in one go.

The 17-hour flight was supposed to land at Perth Airport around midday but ended up diverting to Karratha Airport, touching down at 11:45 a. QF10, a 787 Dreamliner, had to refuel after changing weather conditions along the way, a rare occurrence that happens on long-haul journeys.

The surprise landing comes days after Qantas revealed the timing of its ambitious ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights, which will connect Sydney to London on flights that can last 22 hours non-stop. It shows how weather could confront the new service.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner needed more fuel to complete the final two hours of its journey after weather conditions during the flight forced the crew to adjust the flight path, Qantas said. The aircraft spent about one hour on the ground before continuing on to Perth at 12.40pm and touching down in Perth at 2.40pm.

Karratha Airport, mostly used to service the region’s fly-in, fly-out mining workforce, was only approved to accept larger aircraft last month. The location, based in the town that is home to about 25,000 people, became a designated restricted use international airport and alternative international airport.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Qantas

Code: QF/QFA

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: VH-ZNA

Serial Number: 39038

First Flew: September 2019

Age: 7.9 Years

Looking back on Air France Flight 296Q

AIR FRANCE AIRBUS A319-211 F-GRHP (MSN 1344)

Air France Flight 296Q was a chartered flight of a brand-new Airbus A320-111 operated by Air Charter International for Air France. On the 26th of June 1988, the plane crashed while making a low-level pass over Mulhouse–Habsheim Airfield as part of the Habsheim Air Show. The newly delivered Airbus was destroyed when it impacted trees during the low pass over the runway. A fire broke out, killing three occupants.

This particular flight was the A320's first passenger flight and most of those on board were journalists and raffle competition winners, having won tickets as part of a promotional event by local businesses. Many, including several unaccompanied children, had never been on an airplane previously. The low-speed flyover, with landing gear down, was supposed to take place at an altitude of 100 feet (30 m); instead, the plane performed the flyover at 30 ft (9 m), skimmed the treetops of the forest at the end of the runway (which had not been shown on the airport map given to the pilots) and crashed. 

All 136 passengers survived the initial impact, but 3 then died of smoke inhalation from the subsequent fire; a quadriplegic boy in seat 4F, a 7-year-old little girl in seat 8C, trapped by her seat being pushed forward and struggling to open the seatbelt, and an adult who, according to her partner, had reached the exit with him but then turned back to try help the 7 year old. (The child had been traveling with her older brother but seated apart; he was swept out by a flow of escapees as he tried to find his sister).

The aircraft first flew on the 6th of January 1988 and was delivered to Air France on the 23rd of June, three days prior to its destruction. It was the third A320 delivered to Air France, the launch customer.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air France

Code: AF/AFR

Aircraft: Airbus A320-211

Registration: F-GFKC

Serial Number: 009

Engines: CFMI CFM56-5A1

First Flew: 6th January 1988

Age: 6 months

Malaysia Airlines is now a Seven Star PLUS safety rated airline

Malaysia Airlines has earned the coveted Seven Star PLUS safety rating from AirlineRatings.com, joining an exclusive group of top airlines celebrated for outstanding cabin safety and exceptional operational standards.

This positions the airline alongside carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Air New Zealand,
STARLUX Airlines, EVA Air, Air Europa, and HK Express (Low-cost carrier) reflecting its strong safety culture and consistently high onboard operational standards.

AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen commented on the recognition: "Particularly notable on this audit was the crew's vigilance in keeping passengers seated whenever the seatbelt sign was on. There were long periods when it remained illuminated, and passengers naturally grow restless or feel the need to move. The Malaysia Airlines crew were diligent throughout, ensuring everyone stayed seated until it was safe. Their emergency exit briefing was equally impressive.

Although not part of the audit process, a visit to the airline’s operations afterwards really showcased the impressive efforts they’ve made—especially over the past decade—to address crew resource management, human factors, and fatigue management. I’d say many other airlines could take a from Malaysia Airlines’ playbook in this area.

On the latest recognition, Bryan Foong, Chief Executive Officer of Airline Business from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company for Malaysia Airlines said, “The Seven Star PLUS recognition is a meaningful affirmation of the strong safety culture we have continuously built across Malaysia Aviation Group over the years. What makes this recognition especially significant is the acknowledgement of the operational discipline, crew professionalism and robust safety practices demonstrated consistently across our operations by our teams. At MAG, safety underpins every aspect of our business and remains a shared responsibility embraced by every employee across the organisation. This recognition reflects the collective commitment of our people and reinforces our focus on continuously strengthening operational resilience, enhancing our capabilities, and maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence for our passengers.”

So, what does Seven Star PLUS actually mean?
Seven-Star PLUS is a safety rating that airlines earn, not something they can buy or simply ask for. To qualify, an airline must already have our top-tier Seven-Star safety rating, and only then can it for the audit that could lead to Seven-Star PLUS recognition.

The airline welcomes auditors on board for an independent, anonymous review of its cabin crew’s safety compliance, observed during regular flight conditions over six separate flights. To earn the Seven Star PLUS title, an airline must meet our strict standards throughout the audit, and not all participants qualify. Airlines needing significant improvements keep their Seven-Star safety rating and can be reassessed within a year after making changes.

The value of these audits sits with the airline and the passenger alike. For the airline, the assessment surfaces genuine cabin crew compliance gaps and helps close them early, before they become incidents or regulator findings. A safety team and a chief financial officer both understand the worth of catching a problem in time, and earning the rating gives the airline a credential that carries weight.

For travelers, Seven Star PLUS is a clear signal worth knowing. It marks an airline that opened its cabin operation to independent scrutiny and met the required standard. We hold Seven Star and Seven Star PLUS airlines in the highest safety regard, but the PLUS adds a mark of verified cabin safety compliance, earned by the airlines that chose to be tested.