The Federal Parliament has passed legislation that will see full body scanners installed at security queues across Australia’s international airports. The scanners, unlike machines that have proven controversial in the US, display only a generic ‘stick figure’ outline of passengers while highlighting items hidden under clothing. The federal government flagged plans to roll out the
Continuing to press its assault on Qantas, Virgin Australia will move the majority of its trans-continental flights to internationally-configured A330 widebodies while offering passengers free meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment. The changes, due to take effect on September 26, will bring Virgin services in line with Qantas on the fast-growing Perth routes. Virgin, which had
Virgin Australia will end its thrice weekly services from Brisbane to Hamilton, New Zealand, citing a lack of demand. The airline said its last flight on the route would be on October 27. Virgin began flying to Hamilton in 2009. “Despite our support and out positive relationship with Hamilton Airport over the past three years,
Qantas will resume flights to the Gold Coast with three times weekly services from Sydney beginning in late October. The airline said conditions were right for its return more than four years after it cancelled services to the Gold Coast, saying at the time that it was losing money on the flights. Budget subsidiary Jetstar
A tourism taskforce has called for a relaxation of the aircraft movement cap at Sydney Airport in order to meet visitor targets. The report by the Visitor Economy Taskforce said the federal government should raise the peak hour cap at the airport from 80 to 90 aircraft movements while increasing the number of flights allowed
Virgin Australia is reconsidering a policy barring men from sitting next to unaccompanied children after taking a weekend-long media battering over the issue. The policy came to light after the Brisbane Times reported that a Sydney firefighter was asked to change seats because he was sitting between two boys aged eight and ten. The firefighter,
