Coalition Senator Revives Plan to Cap International Student Numbers
ABS Concedes International Education Earnings Over-stated by One-Third
EU Launches Biometric Entry/Exit System—Smartraveller Warns of Longer Queues for Australians
Latest News
Qantas Executive Shake-up Puts 400 White-Collar Jobs at Risk
Qantas has consolidated senior roles and signalled hundreds of corporate redundancies in a bid to streamline decision-making and lift customer service. While no front-line cuts are flagged, mobility planners should monitor for knock-on effects to schedule resilience and negotiated corporate fare deals.
Jetstar Opens Direct Brisbane–Cebu Route, Adding 37,000 Seats a Year
Jetstar’s new Brisbane–Cebu service, launched 3 December, is Australia’s only direct link to the Philippines’ Visayas region and will offer 37,000 low-fare seats annually—welcome news for tourism, diaspora travel and project-based business mobility between the two countries.
Regional Lift-Off: Hervey Bay Airport Smashes Passenger Record on Melbourne–Sydney Links
Jetstar’s strong Melbourne and Sydney loads pushed Hervey Bay Airport to an all-time monthly high of 21,654 travellers. Cheap-fare promotions and restored QantasLink flights promise better regional connectivity for leisure and business alike.
Student-Visa Appeals Backlog Surges Past 50,000, Tribunal Admits It Lacks Resources
Evidence to Parliament on 2 December revealed a record 46,590 student-visa appeals awaiting review, with officials admitting the Administrative Review Tribunal lacks staff and triage capacity. The gridlock threatens university revenue, employer onboarding plans and Australia’s reputation as a study destination.
Jetstar Restores Operations After Airbus-Ordered Software Fix Grounds 90 Flights
Airbus ordered an immediate rollback of flight-control software on A320 aircraft, grounding 34 Jetstar jets and forcing about 90 flight cancellations on 1 December. Engineers completed the fixes overnight, and normal operations resumed on 2 December, though minor delays persisted. The episode underscores the need for business travellers to maintain itinerary flexibility during peak periods.
VETASSESS Slashes Skills-Assessment Times, Tightens Evidence Rules From 1 December
Effective 1 December, VETASSESS has cut standard skills-assessment processing to seven weeks and halved the document-request window to 28 days. The move is expected to speed up Subclass 482 and 186 visa pipelines but forces employers to prepare complete evidence packages upfront.
Sydney Airport Blasts Border Force Over 32 Idle Smart-Arrival Kiosks
Sydney Airport says most of its new biometric kiosks remain in storage because Border Force has not signed off on their use. Airport chiefs warn that without rapid automation Australia will face longer queues or expensive infrastructure builds, impacting airlines and business travellers alike.