Platform Engineering & Modelling Lead

Brand USA partners with Qantas to showcases America's culinary diversity. Published on: 20th October 2026 at 10:04 AM Brand USA has showcased the culinary diversity of the US to Australian travel advisors through America the Bountiful, an intimate trade event held at Melbourne's Louisiana-inspired venue, Le Bon Ton. The event was held on on Thursday, 8 October 2026. It brought together frontline travel advisors, seven U.S. destination partners and Qantas to explore the country's diverse food and drink experiences. Destination partners included Visit Anaheim, Travel Portland, Travel Oregon, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Travel South, Greater Palm Springs and New Orleans & Company. Qantas also updated attendees on air connectivity to the United States. Brand USA ambassadors Cara Buhagiar from Helloworld Lower Templestowe, Abby Pezze from Wolf and Turner Travel Associates, Jessica O'Grady from Cruiseabout and Brittany Mason from Mr Chocolates Travel attended the event. They shared their experiences to date and personal culinary highlights from their travels in the USA throughout the evening. Brand USA Australia and New Zealand trade director Tristan Freedman said events like America the Bountiful play an important role in connecting travel advisors with destination partners and inspiring new ways to experience the United States. "Culinary experiences offer a meaningful way to connect travellers with the culture, people and stories of a destination. Bringing our destination partners and travel advisors together creates opportunities to share knowledge, spark ideas and inspire more engaging U.S. itineraries." The event also marked the launch of Brand USA's new America the Bountiful agent resource, designed to help travel advisors explore and share culinary experiences across the country.

Qantas Freight and Australia Post expand capacity with first of three freighters. Oct 19, 2026 * Qantas Freight and Australia Post have developed their partnership with the addition of the first of three additional Airbus A321 converted freighters at Western Sydney. * The three aircraft are estimated to add up to 20 percent capacity to the Qantas freighter network. * In recent months, Qantas Freight and Australia Post confirmed the extension of their partnership for another decade. Qantas Freight and Australia Post have marked the next phase of growth in their long-standing partnership with the arrival of the first of three additional Airbus A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (A321P2F) aircraft, helping meet growing demand for fast and reliable parcel deliveries across Australia. The delivery of the three aircraft will add up to 20 per cent capacity to the Qantas operated dedicated freighter network, increasing the capability to reliably uplift up to 20,000 Australia Post and StarTrack parcels on each and every flight, helping keep customers, businesses and communities connected. Arriving just weeks before Black Friday sales and the peak Christmas delivery season, the first aircraft will help Australia Post and Qantas Freight keep pace with increased demand as millions of Australians shop online. The new freighters will support overnight and next-day deliveries across the country and will service all Qantas Freight domestic terminals including the new 24-hour terminal at Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport, which commenced operations in July. The additional two A321P2F freighters are scheduled to join the Qantas Freight fleet by March 2027. The larger A321P2F aircraft can carry more freight per flight than the smaller BAE 146-300 freighters they replace, helping support growing parcel volumes, reduce emissions and improving network efficiency across Australia. "Australia's freight network plays a critical role in connecting businesses and communities across the country. This investment will help us support Australia Post and respond more effectively as demand for fast overnight deliveries continues to grow," Igor Kwiatkowski Qantas Freight Executive Manager said. The delivery comes just months after Qantas Freight and Australia Post extended their partnership for another 10 years, continuing a relationship that began in 1922 when Qantas carried 106 letters on its inaugural commercial flight. The renewed agreement will support the movement of more than 75 million parcels and other freight items annually across Australia and overseas. "Whether it's a customer making a purchase from a Black Friday sale or a small business sending orders across the country, Australians expect fast and reliable delivery," Mark Davies, Australia Post General Manager Linehaul Fleet and Special Services said. "These new aircraft will help us move more parcels across our network and provide additional capacity at a time when online shopping continues to grow and major retail events are driving record parcel volumes. Together with Qantas, we're investing in the infrastructure that keeps Australia connected. The addition of these aircraft, alongside the opening of Western Sydney International Airport's 24-hour freight terminal, will help strengthen the resilience and capacity of our network for years to come."

Jetstar opens Perth crew base as Qantas Group expands aviation training and regional fleet upgrades. The new base starts with 40 crew and targets 90 local positions, supporting Perth-Christchurch flights, more Melbourne services and a training centre serving over 1,200 staff annually. Qantas Group and Jetstar representatives and cabin crew at an aviation safety training facility in Perth. Key takeaways. * Jetstar launched its Perth cabin crew base with 40 employees and plans to increase local roles to 90. * New Perth-Christchurch flights begin 27 October 2026 with more than 30,000 low-fare seats planned for the season. * A new Perth safety facility is expected to train over 1,200 Qantas Group personnel annually. * Nineteen Perth-based QantasLink A320s are receiving Wi-Fi and cabin improvements, while E190 preparations progress. (NEWS) PERTH, Western Australia, Australia, 2026-Oct-16 - /Travel PR News/ - Perth is gaining a larger role in the Qantas Group network, with a new Jetstar cabin crew base, a dedicated aviation safety training facility and upgrades to regional aircraft forming part of a fresh investment push in Western Australia. The expansion adds local crew positions while supporting domestic flights, a new trans-Tasman link and services serving the state's resources sector. Jetstar's Perth base began operating in October with 40 cabin crew, with the airline intending to increase the number of locally based positions to 90. The move is designed to support further departures from Western Australia's capital and reduce the need to rely on crews based elsewhere as the carrier expands its schedule. New Christchurch flights and more Perth-Melbourne capacity. For travellers, the most immediate international addition is Jetstar's new Perth-Christchurch service, scheduled to launch on 27 October 2026. The airline says the route will offer more than 30,000 low-fare seats across its operating season, adding a direct connection between Western Australia and New Zealand's South Island. The carrier also plans to increase its Perth-Melbourne schedule to as many as four return flights daily during the summer holiday period. Together, the flight changes expand options for leisure travellers and people making connections between western and eastern Australia. Safety training moves closer to Western Australian crews. Alongside the crew base, the group has opened a purpose-built Emergency Procedures Training Centre in Perth. It is expected to train more than 1,200 Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar employees each year, encompassing existing cabin crew and new recruits. Jetstar's latest Perth-based recruits are already undertaking ground-school instruction at the site. The centre brings classroom teaching and practical simulations together. Its equipment includes a virtual-reality training area, door trainers for Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft and Airbus A330 and A320 aircraft, an Airbus A321 narrow-body trainer, an evacuation slide and life rafts. An Embraer E190 trainer is due to be installed in early 2027 in preparation for that aircraft's entry into QantasLink's Western Australian operations. Locating this training in Perth means Western Australian personnel can undertake more mandatory safety instruction locally rather than travelling to eastern Australia, a practical consideration as the number of locally based employees increases. Aircraft investment reaches regional and resources operations. The expansion also extends to the QantasLink fleet serving Western Australia, including travel linked to the resources industry. Nineteen Perth-based Airbus A320 aircraft are receiving Wi-Fi installations, refreshed seating and cabin improvements. The first upgraded aircraft has been completed and, according to the group's 16 October announcement, was scheduled to return to service during the same week. QantasLink's first Embraer E190 for its Western Australian fleet arrived in Perth in September 2026, marking another stage in the operator's regional fleet renewal. The addition of training equipment for the E190 reflects the preparations required before these aircraft enter local service. Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group chief executive, described Western Australia as one of the airline group's key growth markets and said Perth is expected to become its second-largest international gateway after Sydney in the coming years. She linked the investments to employment, extra flying and easier access to training for locally based crews. Western Australian Premier and Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister Roger Cook welcomed the investment for its training and employment implications and its contribution to Perth's position in aviation, tourism and trade. The projects illustrate how airline network growth involves more than launching routes: crew bases, safety instruction and fleet modernisation must develop alongside the flying programme. For passengers, the changes promise additional Perth connectivity and gradual onboard improvements, while the recruitment and training facilities create a broader operational base for the group's growth in Western Australia. Further details are available in Jetstar's official announcement and on the Qantas website.