The news follows another difficult year for Boeing, which included a doorplug blowing out of a 737 MAX 9 in mid-air and the bodged return of its Starliner spacecraft.
The YouGov poll for the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), which surveyed a representative sample of 1,044 Australians, found that 71 per cent approved of the federal government stepping in to support Rex in maintaining its regional network.
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.