Hawaiian Airlines cuts free meals on flights

HAWAIIAN AIRBUS A330-243 N380HA (1104)

Hawaiian Airlines, now under the control of Alaska Airlines, is doing away with one of the last perks for economy travelers: free meals on most flights between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. Starting on the 1st of July.  Main cabin passengers on these routes will no longer get complimentary meals anymore. Instead, the airline will roll out a pre-order dining program, letting travelers purchase meals in advance through its website or app, from two weeks up to 20 hours before departure. Meal prices will range from around $10 to $17.

According to the airline, Main cabin passengers flying between Honolulu and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport will still enjoy a complimentary meal. This marks a notable change for Hawaiian Airlines, which has long been known among U.S. carriers for offering free meals in economy on many long-haul flights.

“At the core of this transformation is what has always set Hawaiian Airlines apart: genuine Hawaiian hospitality,” said Alisa Onishi, Managing Director of Hawaiian Airlines. “We’ll continue offering the hallmarks of our service—free beverages, local snacks, and that little sweet treat at the end of the flight. We’re excited to introduce this new main cabin option, giving our guests a chance to experience and enjoy even more of what our island home has to offer.”

Hawaiian Airlines continues to operate under the Hawaiian brand, but it is part of the Alaska Air Group family alongside:

• Alaska Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Horizon Air
• McGee Air Services

Air New Zealand launches three new international routes from Christchurch

Air New Zealand has announced new non-stop international routes from Christchurch Airport (CHC/NZCH) to Singapore (SIN/WSSS), Tokyo (NRT/RJAA) and Perth (PER/YPPH), marking a significant expansion of the airline’s South Island operations.

The three new services, set to launch in late October and November 2026, are part of an agreement between Air New Zealand and Christchurch Airport to grow international connectivity into the region.
New routes and launch dates

The first Christchurch-Singapore service will depart on the 28th of October 2026, connecting the South Island directly to Singapore Changi Airport. Flights to Narita International Airport in Tokyo will begin on the 28th of November 2026, followed by Perth Airport on the 30th of November 2026

“This agreement between Air New Zealand and Christchurch Airport reflects a collective focus on long-term practical growth, strengthening direct connections and opening up more opportunities for the South Island,” Upston said.

These three routes aren’t entirely new for Air New Zealand. The airline has flown Christchurch-Singapore in 2020, Christchurch-Narita in 2015, and Christchurch-Perth in 2019.

United flight returns to Newark after Bluetooth security concern

A United Airlines flight traveling from New York to Spain returned to Newark Airport on the 30th of May 2026, after the name of a Bluetooth device on board triggered a major security concern.

UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 N29981 (MSN 66142)

United Flight 236 departed New York's Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR/KEWR) at about 18:00 local time for Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI/LEPA), Spain, and landed back at Newark at 21:37, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Boeing 767 had 190 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.

Air traffic control audio indicated that the issue involved the name of a discoverable Bluetooth device on the aircraft. In the recording, a controller said a passenger had a Bluetooth device with a “certain four-letter word he didn't want to repeat” as its device name, requiring security personnel to inspect the aircraft, including the cargo area.

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft turning around while over the Atlantic several hundred miles from Newark and using the 7700-emergency squawk code.

According to posts online, the crew repeatedly asked passengers to switch off Bluetooth devices during the flight. One passenger mentioned the crew announced that two devices were still active despite multiple reminders.

The crew turned the aircraft back after communicating with United’s operations center in Chicago.

When the flight returned to Newark, passengers exited the plane using airstairs while Port Authority police conducted a search. They then passed through TSA and Customs and Border Protection screening before boarding a replacement plane with a fresh crew.

The replacement flight departed early on the 31st of May and later arrived in Palma de Mallorca.

This incident comes after several recent cases where wireless device names have set off security alerts on commercial flights.

• In January 2026, a Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 flying from Istanbul to Barcelona landed at Barcelona-El Prat Airport after a passenger reportedly named their mobile hotspot with a bomb threat. Spanish authorities searched the plane and found nothing suspicious. Turkish Airlines stated they would take legal action once the passenger responsible was identified.

• On the 10th of May 2026, a KLM flight from Málaga to Amsterdam was delayed for several hours after a Wi-Fi hotspot name indicated there was a bomb onboard. KLM said it treated the threat seriously and coordinated with local authorities.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: United Airlines 

Code: AU/UAL

Aircraft: Boeing 767-424(ER)

Registration: N67052

Serial Number: 29447

Engines: 2 x GE CF6-80C2B7F

First Flew: 9th September 2000

Age: 25 Years 

Giving the new camera body a run

Last Thursday, I finally bought the camera body I’ve been dreaming about for ages—the Canon R6 Mark II. It comes with an R mount, but since my current camera and lenses use EOS mounts, I also had to pick up an EOS-to-R mount converter which took a few days to come in.

On Sunday we heard that three exciting aircraft were arriving in Brisbane, so my family and I headed to the airport to see these aircraft and to try out my new camera.

The three arrivals were;

• Virgin Australia Regional (VAR) Embraer E190 E2
• Nexus Dash 8 400
• United States Freedom Plane Boeing 737

The VAR E2 left Miami on the 27th of March and made its way to Perth (PER), Western Australia, where it will be based. Its journey took it from Miami (OPF) to Tucson (TUS), then to Kailua-Kona (KOA), Nadi (NAN), and on to Brisbane (BNE) arriving at 3.30pm Sunday afternoon the 31st of May. It departed Brisbane for Perth yesterday at 12:22 p.m.

Next was the Nexus Dash 8 Q400, this aircraft flew from Perth (PER) to Brisbane (BNE) via Ayres Rock (AYQ). Nexus is an established airline in Western Australia, but after winning a mining contract here in Brisbane, they flew one of the aircraft over here for when the contact kicks off today. (I apologies for the distant photo, I thought it would have come down past me, but it turned left and headed of in another direction)

The third, and last exciting arrival was the Freedom Plane, a USA Boeing 737-7BC. This aircraft was blocked so I'm not sure where it came from.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA REGIONAL EMBRAER E190-E2 VH-E2D (MSN 19020221)

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861A6-EOF (MSN 171)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA VH-IJU (MSN 44223)
VA331ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 11 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4J (MSN 55409)
QLK1282 ARRIVING FROM ADELAIDE (ADL) 6 MONTHS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHM (MSN 379)
SQ265 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBS (MSN 1258)
QF53 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 14 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYR (MSN 12160)
JQ59 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 1 YEAR

NEXUS AIRLINES DASH 8 Q400 VH-8XC (MSN 4331)
CT602 ARRIVING FROM AYRES ROCK (AYQ) 16 YEARS

AERLINK ATR 72-500 VH-FVY (MSN840)
AL821 ARRIVING FROM CHARLEVILLE (CTL) 17 YEARS

BOEING COMPANY (FREEDOM PLANE) BOEING 737-7BC N836BA (MSN 30756)

QANTAS BOEING 737-8SA VH-XZT (MSN 44230)
QF536 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 10 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA VH-IJR (MSN 44219)
VA1224 OFF TO CANBERRA (CBR) 12 YEARS

QATAR AIRWAYS AIRBUS A350-1041 A7-ANC (MSN 110)
QR898 ARRIVING FROM DOHA (DOH) 7 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OFU (MSN 11292)
JQ566 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 3 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-251NY VH-OGA (MSN 12323)
QF538 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 1 YEAR

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-7FE VH-VBY (MSN 34323)
VA346 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 20 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBD (MSN 513)
QF540 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 23 YEARS

Starlux is set to launch four new routes, including destinations like Sydney and Auckland.

Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s full-service carrier, has revealed plans to introduce four new long-haul destinations to its network in 2027.

At the airline’s annual shareholder meeting on the 29th of May 2026, Starlux Airlines Chair Chang Kuo-wei announced plans to roll out new routes from its Taipei-Taoyuan (TPE/RCTP) hub to Barcelona (BCN/LEBL), Zürich (ZRH/LSZH), Sydney (SYD/YSSY), and Auckland (AKL/NZAA), with the Auckland service operating as an extension of the Sydney flight.

However, these plans are still under serious evaluation, and no firm decision has yet been taken.  

If confirmed, these would be the first and only nonstop routes between these city pairs. The only other European destination that Starlux Airlines has so far confirmed is Prague (PRG), with a service set to start on the 1st of August 2026. 

On the Sydney route, Starlux Airlines will face competition from fellow Taiwanese carrier China Airlines, which also offers flights to Auckland via Brisbane. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand runs a direct service to Auckland.

At the same conference, the head of Starlux Airlines confirmed that a further US expansion is also under consideration, with Chicago, Washington, New York and Dallas being assessed as the next potential gateways in North America. Starlux already has a significant footprint on the US West Coast, where it already serves Los Angeles International (LAX/KLAX), Ontario International Airport (ONT/KONT), San Francisco International Airport (SFO/KSFO) and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA/KSEA), as well as Phoenix (PHX/KPHX), Arizona, a state in which the Taiwanese microchip industry has made large investments. 

Virgin Australia’s 150th Boeing has something special inside

Last week, I shared a story about Virgin Australia’s 150th Boeing aircraft, but after watching some video footage, I learnt it had something intriguing on board.

The jet, named ‘Lake Centenary’, began commercial service on the 28th of May 2026, with its inaugural revenue flight VA308 traveling from Brisbane Airport (BNE/YBBN) to Melbourne Airport (MEL/YMML).

It not only features a retro-inspired all-red livery but a unique cabin tribute, with the names of over 8,000 Virgin Australia team members printed on the overhead lockers.

For Virgin Australia Group CEO Dave Emerson, the aircraft reflects how far the airline has come since launching as Virgin Blue in 2000 with just two planes and a single route.

“This aircraft is a celebration of our team,” Emerson said. “Including their names is our way of recognizing how important each and every one of them is to our journey.”

Lake Centenary, VH-8VI, is the 100th Boeing 737 in Virgin Australia’s "current fleet" and the 16th 737 MAX 8 to join the airline. The first 737 MAX 8, named Monkey Mia, VH-8IA, arrived in June 2023. The 150th on the side represents Virgin Australia's 150th Boeing 737 aircraft all up.

A new Qantas special livery is coming

Following Virgin Australia's two special liveries, Qantas has unveiled a Great Barrier Reef-inspired livery on its newest Airbus A321XLR, celebrating one of Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks. The aircraft, named Coral Sea, rolled out of Airbus’ paint shop in Hamburg, Germany, on the 28th of May 2026. It is the seventh of 48 A321XLRs Qantas has on order and will be flown home to Australia by Qantas pilots in June 2026.

Qantas reached out to Airbus to request a special livery for their new A321 VH-OGG (MSN 12853) celebrating the beauty of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They wanted to incorporate elements inspired by the TAA Trans Australia Airlines “The Friendly Way” DC9 VH-TJL from the 1980s, blending a touch of nostalgia with a tribute to this natural wonder.

Unlike Qantas’ famous Indigenous liveries like “Wunala Dreaming” and “Yam Dreaming,” this design seems to emphasize marine conservation branding over a bold, large-scale artistic makeover.

The photos above were sourced from Facebook, with photography credit to Dirk Grothe/Airways.