News Briefs from August 2025
AUGUST 29, 2025: Virgin Australia has declared a statutory net profit after tax of AUD479 million and revenues of AUDAUD5.81 billion for the 12 months to June 30, 2025. The airline, which recently relisted on the stock exchange, says it is a "strong earnings result."
Read the full financial results here
AUGUST 29, 2025: Fiji Link is moving to a fully cashless payment system at Nadi (NAN), Suva (SUV), and Labasa (LBS) airports from next month
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 28, 2025: Qantas has posted a statutory tax profit of AUD1.61 billion for the 12 months to June 30, 2025. It is a 28% increase on the previous 2024 financial year result.
Read the full financial results here.
AUGUST 28, 2025: Air New Zealand has posted a statutory tax profit of NZD1.26 billion for the 12 months to June 30, 2025. It is a 14% increase on the previous 2024 financial year result.
Read the full financial results here.
AUGUST 27, 2025: The board of Air Niugini has suspended CEO Gary Seddon as a "procedural matter." The suspension concerns the upcoming induction of A220 aircraft.
Read the news report here.
AUGUST 27, 2025: Christchurch International Airport Limited has declared an underlying profit after tax NZD49.7 million for the 12 months to June 30, 2025. In the same year, the airport handled 6.39 million passengers.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 25, 2025: Auckland Airport has completed the first phase of improvements to the international arrivals areas, including an improved nothing to declare express lane supported by detector dog screening, alongside new and expanded back-of-house areas that set up the next stages of work.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 25, 2025: Papua New Guinea’s Accident Investigation Committee has published its final report on the investigation into an accident involving a TropicAir DHC-6-400 aircraft at Kerema Airport on February 6, 2025.
Read the full report here.
AUGUST 21, 2025: The Solomon Islands' Ministry of Communication and Aviation, Guadalcanal Province Government, and landowner tribes, signed a memorandum of understanding at the province’s headquarter chamber this week to reopen Avuavu airstrip in East Guadalcanal after carrying out the rehabilitation work and expanding the airstrip to meet current aviation standards and requirements.
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 21, 2025: The New Zealand government will invest NZD2.7 billion towards the MH-60R Seahawk and Airbus A321XLR as preferred options to replace aging fleet assets.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 21, 2025: Wellington Airport (WLG) has announced that from 21 August 2025 Wayne Eagleson will be joining the airport's board as an Infratil Director, replacing outgoing Director Phil Walker.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 21, 2025: Launceston Airport (LST) has recorded its busiest July ever, with 115,792 passengers passing through the airport, which represents a 7.4% increase on July last year.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 19, 2025: The Japan International Cooperation Agency has signed a grant agreement with the Tongan Government to upgrade Fua’amotu International Airport (TBU), including building the country's first aerobridge.
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 19, 2025: Inspectors from Papua New Guinea's Civil Aviation Safety Authority have arrived in Nuku’alofa on behalf of the Pacific Aviation Safety Office to conduct an audit ahead of renewing Lulutai Airline’s air operator's certificate.
Read the news release here.
AUGUST 18, 2025: Australia's Federal Court has ordered Qantas to pay AUD90 million (USD59 million) after illegally sacking 1,800 ground handlers in 2020. It is Australia's largest ever workplace law penalty.
Read the full judgement here.
AUGUST 18, 2025: The Labasa Chamber of Commerce in Fiji has called \for an urgent fix to the runway at Labasa Airport (LBS), saying flights are only operating at 50% capacity because of safety concerns about the runway.
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 13, 2025: Vanuatu's Temotu Provincial Government has welcomed plans to upgrade Motalava Airport (MTV) Airport on Motalava Island. The upgrade includes sealing the runway, allowing it to handle aircraft as large as ATR72.
Read the news report here.
AUGUST 12, 2025: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released its latest Domestic Airline Competition Report. Among other things, it reveals that monthly domestic passenger numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Read the ACCC's report here.
AUGUST 11, 2025: Sharp Airlines has announced an interline agreement with Qantas. Customers who book with Qantas will be able to connect to flights operated by Sharp Airlines across regional Victoria and the Bass Strait islands.
Read the news release here.
AUGUST 11, 2025: ISAC has received an application from Qantas seeking the allocation of 696 seats per week on the Cook Islands route. Qantas' wholly-owned subsidiary, Jetstar, plans to launch Brisbane-Rarotonga services three times per week.
Read the application here.
AUGUST 8, 2025: Virgin Australia has applied to ISAC to renew Determination [2019] IASC 124 that allows it to code share with Qatar Airways on the France route. The application, which seeks a five year extension, gives Virgin Australia approximately daily 150 seats on the route.
Read the application here.
AUGUST 7, 2025: Fiji's parliament has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Fiji’s aviation legal framework, alongside strengthened security measures. This follows a detailed review of the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji’s (CAAF) 2023 Annual Report.
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 6, 2025: Gold Coast Airport (OOL) has received Australian Government approval for its 2024 Master Plan. It projects airport’s economic contribution to the region will nearly double to $990 million annually and support over 6,000 jobs over the next two decades.
Read the news release here.
AUGUST 6, 2025: Pormpuraaw Airport (EDR) will be closed between 11 August and 30 October 2025, due to runway works.
Read the news article here.
AUGUST 4, 2025: Sydney Airport has announced the first phase of a major redevelopment of the T3 (Qantas) Domestic Terminal. Phase One, due for completion in late 2025, will see 14 new food and beverage open in the terminal.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 4, 2025: Air Niugini says studies done by Airbus have confirmed that all 15 airports currently served by the airline's Fokker fleet can accommodate A220s, the first of which is due to arrive in September.
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 1, 2025: Brisbane Airport has become the first airport in the world to complete a security assessment under a new global program developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Read the press release here.
AUGUST 1, 2025: Air New Zealand has announced the appointment of Nikhil Ravishankar as its next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Greg Foran who steps down in October after almost six years leading the airline.
Read the stock exchange filing here.
