MAY 26 2026. PAPUA NEW GUINEA

PNG Air ATR72 bursts tyres during aborted take-off

Papua New Guinea’s National Airports Corporation has temporarily closed Goroka Airport (GKA) after a PNG Air ATR72-600 burst two tyres during an aborted take-off yesterday, May 25, and subsequently blocked the runway.

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MAY 26 2026. AUSTRALIA

Supply chain issues delay Project Sunrise flights - again

Airbus has pushed back delivery of the first Qantas ultra long-range A350 to April 2027, citing supply chain issues, and again delaying the start of the airline’s Project Sunrise flights.

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MAY 25 2026. AUSTRALIA

REX cuts Bass Straight flights as former directors face court

REX is axing two Bass Strait routes, citing reduced demand and increased fuel costs. Meanwhile, ASIC has commenced its prosecution of four former REX directors over the airline’s 2024 collapse.

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MAY 25, 2026. FRENCH POLYNESIA

Fenua Financement debuts aircraft crowdfunding finance platform

French Polynesian retail investment platform Fenua Financement has launched a crowdfunding platform called Rattel Aero that focuses exclusively on aircraft financing.

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  • PNG Air lodges 2025 annual report as turnaround continues

    MAY 22, 2026: PNG Air has filed its annual report and audited accounts for the 12 months to December 31, 2025, bringing its reporting obligations up to date and drawing a line under an era of late filings and missing annual reports.

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  • Limited domestic flights resume at Nouméa’s Magenta Airport

    MAY 21, 2026: Limited domestic flights have resumed at Nouméa’s Magenta Airport months after a government decision to shut the airport resulted in blockades at airports around New Caledonia’s outer islands and tipped Air Calédonie into administration.

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  • Tongan Government to inject more cash into Lulutai Airlines

    MAY 21, 2026: The Tongan Government will allocate USD1.37 million to support struggling state-owned carrier Lulutai Airlines, according to budget estimate papers presented to the island nation’s parliament on May 19, 2026.

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  • Air New Zealand widebodies to return to Christchurch

    MAY 20, 2026: Air New Zealand’s widebody aircraft will return to Christchurch (CHC) later this year, with the airline announcing the resumption of B787-operated flights from the airport to Perth (PER), Singapore (SIN), and Tokyo Narita (NRT).

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May 2026 News Briefs

MAY 26, 2026: The Australian Government has accepted 95% of financial claims from regional airports left out of pocket by the 2025 collapse of Regional Express (REX) and has paid out AUD4.8 million to cover those debts. Thirty four airports and local councils successfully applied for the funding.

Read the news release here.

MAY 25, 2026: The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley has completed the construction phase of the Kununurra Airport (KNX) runway extension project. The extended 2,370-metre runway can now comfortably accommodate fully laden narrowbody jets. The AUD19.1 million project was funded by the Australian Government (AUD15.1 million), the Government of Western Australia (AUD2.5 million), and the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley (AUD1.5 million).

Read the news release here.

MAY 22, 2026: New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its final report into a July 27, 2025, incident near Whakatāne involving a Bell 206L-3 LongRanger helicopter that overturned during take-off, injuring three people.

You can read the final report here.

MAY 22, 2026: Vanuatu politician Marcellino Pipite says preliminary talks are underway about non-stop flights between Nadi (NAN) and Espiritu Santo (SON). He says the Vanuatu Government hopes to see the flights start later this year as part of broader plans to expand economic opportunities and improve regional connections.

Read the news report here.

MAY 21, 2026: The Queensland Government has deployed a new POLAIR Bell 429 helicopter to Cairns (CNS), completing a permanent northern aerial policing network just weeks after two additional aircraft were delivered to Townsville (TSV).

Read the news release here.

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MAY 20, 2026. AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND

ASL Airlines Australia to buy New Zealand’s Airwork

ASL Airlines Australia plans to buy Airwork, the New Zealand freight operator in receivership, subject to due diligence and final approvals.

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MAY 19, 2026. NEW ZEALAND

NZ authorities open investigation into fatal helicopter crash

The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has commenced an inquiry into a fatal helicopter crash on the South Island on May 17, 2026.

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May 2026 Aircraft Movements

MAY 22, 2026: PNG Air is ferrying in its second ATR42-600. The aircraft, P2-ATT (msn 1804), departed Toulouse (QBF) on May 19 at the time of publication is in Jeddah (JED), enroute to Port Moresby (POM).

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia is ferrying in its 17th B737-8. The aircraft, VH-8VI (msn 67039), left Melbourne (MLB) on May 20 and at the time of publication, is due to land in Brisbane (BNE) later on May 22. The jet flew via Ontario (ONT) and Kailua-Kona (KOA).

MAY 21, 2026: Alliance Airlines has disposed of an E190-100AR. The aircraft, VH-XVO (msn 19000119) was operating on a wet-lease basis for Qantas but between May 18 – 20 ferried from Brisbane (BNE) to Bratislava (BTS) via Darwin (DRW), Johor Bahru (JNB), Bengaluru (BLR), Muscat (MCT), Hurghada (HRG), and Maastricht (MST).

MAY 11, 2026: Virgin Australia has ferried in its sixteenth B737-8. The jet, VH-8VH (msn 67038) landed in Brisbane (BNE) on May 8 having flown in from Melbourne (MLB) via Ontario (ONT) and Kailua-Kona (KOA)

MAY 6, 2026: An Alliance Airlines F100 has departed Australia on a delivery flight to Kenya’s Skyward Airlines. The aircraft, VH-FSQ (msn 11450) left Perth (PER) on May 3 and at the of publication, had landed in Sofia (SOF) after travelling via Port Hedland (PHE), Johor Bahru (JHB), Bengaluru (BLR), Al Ain (AAN), and Hurghada (HRG).

MAY 5, 2026: PNG Air is ferrying in an ATR42-600. The aircraft, P2-ATU (msn 1804) is due to depart Toulouse (QYF) for Heraklion (HER) on May 5, enroute to Port Moresby. The delivery is one of several new ATR aircraft already at or heading to PNG Air as part of a fleet renewal programme.

MAY 4, 2026: Jetstar has returned an A320-200 to the lessor, SMBC. The aircraft, VH YXQ (msn 5618) ferried out of Melbourne (MEL) for Tainan (TNN) via Alice Springs (ASP) and Darwin (DRW) on over the week starting April 25.

MAY 1, 2026: Qantas is ferrying in its sixth A321-200XLR. VH-OGF (msn 12835) departed Hamburg (XFW) for Sydney (SYD) via Bengaluru (BLR) on April 30. It is due to land in Australia early on May 2.

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MAY 19, 2026. AUSTRALIA

Australia inks two new air services agreements, amends two more

The Australian Government has inked new air services agreements with the Maldives and El Salvador and updated existing agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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May 2026 Route Briefs

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia will suspend its weekly B737-8 operated Brisbane (BNE) – Apia (APW) round-trips, effective August 25, 2026.

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia will suspend its thrice-weekly B737-800 operated Brisbane (BNE) – Yulara (AYQ) round-trips, effective October 24, 2026.

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia will suspend its thrice-weekly B737-800 operated Melbourne (MEL) – Yulara (AYQ) round-trips, effective October 25, 2026.

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia has cancelled its planned seasonal Adelaide (ADL) – Hobart (HBA) round-trips over the 2026/27 summer. Services were due resume in October and run into early 2027.

MAY 22, 2026: Virgin Australia has cancelled its planned seasonal Perth (PER) – Launceston (LST) round-trips over the 2026/27 summer. Services were due resume in October and run  into early 2027.

MAY 21, 2026: Air Oceania has resumed flights between Nouméa Magenta (NOU) and Lifou (LIF) using a nine-seat Tecnam P2012 aircraft.

MAY 20, 2026: Jetstar has commenced its thrice-weekly A321-200NX operated round-trips between Brisbane (BNE) and Rarotonga (RAR).

MAY 20, 2026: Maldivian has commenced its weekly A330-200 operated seasonal flights between Melbourne (MEL) and Malé (MLE) on behalf of tour operator Luxury Escapes.

MAY 18,2026: United Airlines will operate a B787-9 on its seasonal San Francisco (SFO) – Christchurch (CHC) round-trips over the full northern 2026/27summer. The airline previously planned to run a B787-8 on the route.

MAY 18, 2026: Batik Air Malaysia will increase its six weekly A330-300 operated Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – Sydney (SYD) round-trips to daily services from July 1, 2026.

MAY 15, 2026: Singapore Airlines will maintain its daily A380-800 Singapore (SIN) – Melbourne (MEL) round-trips beyond the 2026 northern summer, with the airline now scheduling the service (SQ228/237) beyond October 25, 2026.

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MAY 18, 2026. FRENCH POLYNESIA

Ready to fly: French Polynesia’s Motu Link Airline gets AOC

French Polynesia’s new cargo airline, Motu Link, has secured its air operator’s certificate and is preparing to launch ATR72 freighter flights linking the territory’s islands with faster air freight services.

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