Brisbane Airport plunged into darkness

A significant power outage impacted Brisbane Airport this morning resulting in extensive flight delays for passengers as dense fog enveloped the city. Travelers experienced disruptions throughout the night and into the early hours of this morning due to the heavy fog blanketing the area.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a road visibility warning for motorists in the area. The warning was lifted as the fog began to clear in most locations by 7 a.m.

However, the fog caused issues at two electric sub-stations which affected operations at Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal. Travellers and staff experienced long delays due to issues at check-in, baggage sorting and when loading a number of the aircraft.

A Brisbane Airport spokesman assured customers the issue was fixed, and the power was fully restored.
'However, there will be some residual impacts for Qantas and Jetstar passengers.

'There has also been heavy fog at the airport. Aircraft continued landing and taking off, however it decreased the speed of movement on the ground.

'That fog is now clearing. We thank the passengers for their patience this morning' an airport spokesperson said.

Dense crowds filled the terminal as they were plunged into darkness, with some describing the scene as “eerie”.

“Blackout at Brisbane airport … coffee machines not working … send help,” one person wrote.

Another claimed “people are locked in the planes that have just landed” as staff scrambled to work through the blackout. One of those impacted was NRL personality Phil Gould, who said the fault caused “no lights, so no flights in or out”.

Qantas cancelled five of their flights departing from Brisbane Airport this morning.
The regional and interstate services affected included flights to:

• Rockhampton (QF1870),
• Adelaide (QF1927),
• Moranbah (QF2454,
• Townsville (QF1860)
• Gladstone (QF1920).

No Virgin Australia or Jetstar flights were cancelled.

Thailand gets very tough with international airlines

Thailand is implementing new regulations to hold airlines accountable for delays and cancellations, mandating compensation for international travelers.

Under the rules issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, passengers on international flights delayed by more than two hours will now be entitled to free food and beverages as appropriate for the waiting period and free access to phones and email at the airlines expense, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.

For delays exceeding five hours, airlines must also provide compensation of at least 1,500 baht (AU$70 / US$46), which can be in the form of cash, credit shells, travel vouchers, flyer miles, or equivalent options, within 14 days.

If an overnight stay is necessary, they are required to provide passengers with accommodation and transport, and the option to cancel their trip with a full refund.

For delays of more than 10 hours, passengers are eligible for the same benefits but with higher compensation of 2,000-4,500 baht (AU$94-$211 / US$61 - $138) depending on flight distance.

In the event of flight cancellations, airlines must provide the same support offered for delays of more than 10 hours.

But these rules do not apply if the airline has notified passengers at least seven days in advance or less than seven days in advance but with an alternative flight departing within three hours of the original time or if the cancellation is due to unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances despiteft the airline taking appropriate measures.

This is good news for my family and I as we are flying to Bangkok in a few weeks with Jetstar, and unfortunately, they are not the most reliable airline in Australia.

While we are talking about Bangkok's Airport: Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport has been named among world's top 10 low-cost airline terminals as voted by Skytrax, a London-based aviation consultancy.

This recognition is given to airport terminals that specialize in serving low-cost carriers, based on a global survey gathering feedback from over 13 million airport users across more than 100 countries between August 2024 and February 2025.

Don Mueang Airport, one of two international airports serving Bangkok, Thailand, consists of Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic flights. The terminals are connected by a distinctive glass-enclosed elevated walkway.

Flight diverted due to passenger trying to open cabin door mid flight

An All-Nippon Airways flight was forced to divert to Seattle (SEA/KSEA) in Washington on Saturday after an unruly passenger tried to open an emergency door mid-air and threatened to kill everyone onboard. The flight was traveling from Japan's Tokyo (HND / RJTT) was bound for Houston (IAH/KIAH), Iin Texas.

Authorities at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport told local media that a male passenger, whose identity hasn't been revealed, jumped for the door handle and attempted to open the plane's emergency exit. Fellow passengers and flight crew quickly intervened, pulling him back and restraining him on the cabin floor. The passenger created panic mid-air just over three hours before the flight's scheduled landing in Houston. Reports say most passengers were asleep when the incident took place.

The pilot successfully diverted the plane within 45 minutes, 9-hours into the 12-hour journey. After the plane safely landed in Seattle, the police boarded the aircraft and discovered that the accused was having a medical emergency.

“The guy was sitting behind me directly…he actually got up out his seat and crawled over the people that were sitting next to him, and he got up in a hurry, so I just assumed he was going to be sick,” a startled female passenger told the media. The woman, who recorded the man getting restrained, said two veterans jumped into action when panic erupted.

“They brought him back to the seat and they actually sat him down and zip-tied him to the seats,” she added, noting that the roughly 12-hour flight had only about four hours left when it was rerouted.

He was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation, while the flight departed and landed in Houston without further disruption with a delay of four hours. As of now, no charges have been filed against the accused, whose identity and health condition remain unknown.

Aircraft Information

Airline: All Nippon

Code: NH/ANA

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: JA934A

Serial Number: 43868

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 1000

First Flew: 10/08/2020

Age: 4.8 Years

Plane passengers will get hefty fines if they carry on with common habit

Passengers should stay buckled up in their seats until it is time to disembark - but the common practice of scrambling to get bags first has irritated fellow passengers and flight attendants for years

Plane passengers in Turkey have been warned they will be fined if they rush out of their seats to get their bags before the aircraft comes to a complete stop at the gate. Penalties of up to £80 have already been issued in the nation, which says airlines are fed up with demanding and rude passengers who refuse to stay seated while the plane lands and taxis to the terminal.

Impatient passengers often stand up, reach for their bags and queue in the aisles for long periods - even before the aircraft is stationary. But now the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority is clamping down on this practice, which is said to irritate passengers and flight attendants. A source said: "According to the regulation, airlines are obliged to remind passengers to fasten their seatbelts during and after landing until they reach the parking position and to explicitly point out that any infringement will be reported to the aviation authority, and a fine will be impose."

This is a common issue worldwide, and many counties have hinted they are looking at following the same practice as Turkey.

Remembering American Airlines Flight 191

AMERICAN AIRLINES B787-9 N832AA (MSN 40638)

 

American Airlines Flight 191 was a regular scheduled passenger flight from O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD) in Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) in Los Angeles, California. 

On the 25th of May 1979, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 operating this flight was taking off from runway 32R when it crashed into the ground. All 258 passengers and 13 crew on board were killed, along with two people on the ground. At 14:59 hours local time Flight 191 taxied from the gate at O'Hare Airport. The weather at the time of departure was clear, and the reported surface wind was 020° at 22 kts. At 15:02:38, the flight was cleared for takeoff. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that as the aircraft was beginning its takeoff rotation, engine number one (the left engine) separated from the left wing, flipping over the top of the wing and landing on the runway. As the engine separated from the aircraft, it severed hydraulic fluid lines that lock the wing's leading-edge slats in place and damaged a 3-foot (1 metre) section of the left wing's leading edge. Aerodynamic forces acting on the wing resulted in an uncommanded retraction of the outboard slats. 

As the aircraft began to climb, the damaged left wing – with no engine – produced far less lift than the right wing, with its slats still deployed and its engine providing full takeoff thrust. The disrupted and unbalanced aerodynamics of the aircraft caused it to roll abruptly to the left until it was partially inverted, reaching a bank angle of 112 degrees, before crashing in an open field by a trailer park near the end of the runway 50 seconds later. The engine separation was attributed to damage to the pylon structure holding the engine to the wing, caused by improper maintenance procedures used at American Airlines. (A pylon structure is a hardpoint located on an airframe designed to carry an external or internal load.) 

With 273 fatalities, it is still the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States.

Aircraft Information

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC10

Registration: N110AA

Serial Number: 46510 

Engines: Three General Electric CF6-6D

First Flew: 25/02/1972

Age: 7 Years 3 months

OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE FAMILES THINKING ABOUT LOVED ONES TODAY

Cathay Pacific returns to Adelaide - South Australia

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LRJ (MSN 061)

Cathay Pacific is strengthening its Southwest Pacific presence with the return of non-stop flights between Hong Kong (HKG/VHHH) and Adelaide (ADL/YPAD) from the 11th of November 2025. The seasonal winter service will operate three times weekly, restoring a key connection between the airline’s global hub and South Australia’s vibrant capital.

This marks Cathay Pacific’s eighth destination in the region, alongside year-round services to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, as well as seasonal routes to Cairns.

The announcement follows a string of major accolades for Cathay Pacific, including its consistent Seven-Star Safety Rating from AirlineRatings and its recognition as Runner-Up for World’s Best Business Class in the 2025 AirlineRatings Awards, as well as in the 2025 World's Best Airline Awards.

Flight Schedule: Hong Kong – Adelaide (11th of November 2025 to 27th of March 2026)

• CX173: HKG–ADL, departs 23:30, Arrives 10:30+1 (Tue, Thu, Sat)
• CX174: ADL–HKG, departs 12:00, Arrives 17:40 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

(All times local; subject to change and regulatory approval.)

Qantas / Jetstar takes advantage of Australian travelers

Australia’s sole budget carrier has once again cashed in on the lack of competition in the nation’s aviation sector. Within the Qantas Group’s whopping $1.5 billion earnings before tax in the first half of 2024-25, Jetstar jacked up prices to record an operating margin of 18 per cent.

That is up from 13 per cent in the first half of the 2023-24 financial year, the increase coinciding with fellow budget airline Bonza’s collapse in April 2024. It helped delivered massive earnings increase for the Qantas Group, with Jetstar domestic flight revenue jumping 54 per cent in that same time frame.

The Qantas group has a reputation of dropping prices to squeeze out any competition, i.e. Bonza, and once the threat has gone, they increase their prices once again.

The findings come from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s quarterly look at domestic airline competition, which found both Qantas and Jetstar had recorded staggering financial results in the back half of 2024.

Virgin has not publicly reported its half-year results, although chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka said in February it had achieved record profits due to fuller aircraft.

ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey said Jetstar’s earnings jump was largely explained by Bonza’s demise. Compared with an 18 per cent operating margin on domestic flights, Jetstar’s international flights were at 15 per cent due to the increased competition, the report said.

“The high half-yearly earnings reported by Qantas Group reflect its dominance of the domestic airline sector, with Qantas and Jetstar accounting for over 60 per cent of passengers,” Brakey said.

“Jetstar has been able to capitalise on the continued absence of competitive pressure from another low-cost carrier in the domestic market to increase its market share and operating margin.”