Ultra long-haul flights make it possible to go Sydney to London non-stop. But does the world need them, given they are more polluting and less efficient?
The scale of the COVID-19 crisis for the global airline industry is unprecedented. But the history of lesser past crises also tells us it will recover.
The government has announced up to $165 million to enable Qantas and Virgin Australia to service crucial metropolitan and regional routes over the next two months, with a review after that on whether more support is needed.
Chief executive Alan Joyce and crew members at the Qantas centenary in 2019.
Peter Rae/AAP
We analysed what the world’s top 58 airlines – such as American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas – are doing about climate change. Even the best airlines are not doing anywhere near enough.
The Boeing 737 is a workhorse for many airlines, including Qantas.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Qantas has faced calls to ground its entire fleet of Boeing 737s after cracks were found in three aircraft. But the incident is a threat to airlines’ reputations rather than a real risk to passengers.
Though Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce might be outspoken on some progressive issues, he supports the system that pays him 300 times that of the average Australian.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The day and a half it takes to get from New York to Singapore and back offers plenty of time to ponder the economics of ultra-long-haul flights – and wonder why we’d want to make it any longer.
Incoming Director of the Australian Institute of Business and Economics at UQ, and Professor of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University