Nationwide passport-control outage snarls departures at major Australian airports
Weather and staffing woes cancel 70+ flights and delay 300+ more across Australia
Opposition floats visa ‘values test’ and tougher English rules for migrants
Latest News
Melbourne’s $15 billion Metro Tunnel opens for preview services, offering free weekend travel
Melbourne’s long-awaited Metro Tunnel opened to the public on 30 November, running preview services and offering free weekend travel until February 2026. The A$15 billion line adds five new underground stations and is set to increase network capacity and slash inner-city journey times—good news for corporate travellers and relocating staff.
Jetstar Grounds 34 Airbus A320s After Global Software Recall, Cancelling 90 Flights Nationwide
• Airbus ordered an immediate software rollback on A320 aircraft after a flight-control glitch linked to solar radiation. • Jetstar grounded 34 jets, cancelling about 90 flights on 29 November; most are expected to return to service within 24 hours. • Qantas and Virgin Australia report minimal impact but have offered spare capacity. • The episode underscores the need for contingency plans as software and space-weather risks grow.
Melbourne Airport Terminal 1 Fire Triggers Mass Evacuation and Evening Flight Chaos
• A baggage-area fire at Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 1 on 28 November led to the evacuation of 1,500 people and widespread evening delays. • The blaze was contained quickly, but dozens of Qantas and Jetstar flights were delayed or cancelled, with ripple effects into Saturday schedules. • Combined with Jetstar’s A320 grounding, the event highlights infrastructure resilience risks for time-critical business travel.
Refugee and Humanitarian Applicants Can Now File Class XB Visas Entirely Online
• From 29 November, Refugee and Special Humanitarian visa (Class XB) applications must be lodged online via ImmiAccount under Instrument LIN 25/121. • The change reduces paperwork and is expected to speed up initial case acknowledgment, but applicants must plan for scheduled IT outages. • Community sponsors and mobility-programme managers should update internal checklists to reflect the new e-lodgement mandate.