Airlines

Qantas Freight is preparing for a record Christmas season, with domestic freight volumes up nearly 75% from pre-COVID levels.

As online shopping deliveries increase, Qantas Freight is preparing for a record Christmas season, with domestic freight volumes up nearly 75% from pre-COVID levels.

Across December, the Qantas Freight network will carry around 26,000 tonnes of freight to domestic, regional and international cities, an increase on last December’s record month and up more than 50 per cent on our average monthly uplift.

This Cargo company has placed a new order for 10 Boeing 777-8 aircraft.(Opens in a new browser tab)

Qantas Freight operates 19 dedicated freighters domestically (including up to 16 for major partner Australia Post), and four international freighters. Qantas Freight domestic aircraft travel more than 11 million kilometres each year, the equivalent of 14 round trips to the moon.

“In the busiest days leading up to Christmas we’ll carry around 1,200 tonnes of cargo, around double our daily average amount across our freight fleet and in the belly of passenger flights. “Our domestic services alone will be move up to 650 tonnes on the busiest nights to help with Santa’s deliveries, equivalent to around 1.3 million iPads.”

China’s TP500 freight drone makes its maiden flight.(Opens in a new browser tab)

Australia Post General Manager Premium Services and International Mark Davies said: “The support of key partners like Qantas has been pivotal in enabling us to deliver for our customers, especially during this incredibly busy period.

Qantas Freight recently announced it was investing in six Airbus A321 aircraft, as well as converting two A330 passenger jets to freighters to meet growing e-commerce demand. In addition to Australia Post’s parcels, some of the items Qantas Freight is transporting in the lead up to Christmas include:

Classic cars
Fresh seafood such as coral trout, lobsters and abalone
Cherries, mangoes and stone fruit
Cut flowers
Farm machinery

Airlines

Air India Express Aircraft Engine Part Falls Outside Delhi Airport; DGCA Orders Probe

Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry following reports that metal fragments were discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Air India Express flight made an emergency landing on Monday evening.

The emergency landing was prompted by a detected engine fault, but fortunately, the landing was executed safely without any injuries to the passengers.

The situation began when crew members of the Air India Express flight reported an engine issue, leading to the emergency landing. The DGCA has confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and has directed that the aircraft undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

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The discovery of metal debris outside the airport has raised concerns, prompting the DGCA to probe whether these fragments are linked to the aircraft involved in the emergency landing. Authorities are particularly focused on whether the metal pieces, which were found near the airport, originated from the same Air India Express flight that experienced engine trouble.

While preliminary assessments suggest that the debris could be a broken blade from an aircraft engine, the exact source remains unconfirmed. The airline has yet to verify if the metal fragments are from their aircraft.

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The Delhi Police, working in conjunction with the DGCA, have initiated their own investigation to determine the origin of the metal pieces. A technical team is set to analyze whether the fragments are associated with the aircraft in question. As the investigation continues, a case has been filed with the airport authority to address the matter.