The Australian government has asked both Qantas and the Middle Eastern airline to help repatriate citizens who have scheduled services free of charge. A RAAF C-130J Hercules and C-17 Globemaster are also assisting with efforts.
Justice Helen Rofe signed off on the settlement reached in May, which will see the Flying Kangaroo pay a pecuniary penalty of $100 million and compensate passengers up to $20 million in total.
The third-party employees were working for India SATS – the Flying Kangaroo’s ground handler in India – and used their positions to steal frequent flyer points from customers.
The 17-hour-trip service, paid for by the Flying Kangaroo, came after Australian citizens and permanent residents were first evacuated via separate charter flights from the war-torn country.
In total, 400 ADF personnel will work closely with members from the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a defensive arrangement between the nations of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
The ‘refuelling point aviation’ will be used as part of Operation Render Safe, the ADF-led operation that aims to remove World War II-era explosives in Pacific island countries.
The new deal, backed by 75 per cent of respondents, will see base salary increases of more than 21 per cent over three years as well as improvements to flexible working.
The project is being overseen by Angela Garvey – Australian Aviation’s Excellence Award winner – and hopes to help ensure that aviation workers can access support without fear of judgement or repercussions from employers or regulatory bodies.
Unveiled two years ago, the B-21 Raider is the ‘sequel’ to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit. It is designed to strike silently deep behind enemy lines with its 9,500km range and advanced stealth capabilities.