While F-35 Lightning II jets thundered over Sydney Harbour and Perth’s Swan River in carefully choreographed Australia Day fly-pasts, the country’s two largest airlines were conspicuous by their absence. Qantas and Virgin Australia declined to repeat past publicity stunts such as Airbus A380 harbour fly-overs or themed gate-parties, citing the divisive nature of the holiday for First Nations peoples and staff from diverse backgrounds.
In internal memos seen by The Australian, both carriers encouraged respectful discussion among employees but warned against social-media posts that could be perceived as politicised. Operational schedules continued as normal, with no special holiday pay for staff rostered on 26 January—a sore point for unions advocating for substitute public-holiday leave.
Industry analysts say the airlines’ low-key stance reflects a broader corporate shift: sponsorship deals celebrating Australia Day have dropped 40 per cent since 2022, replaced by neutral “Summer Long Weekend” marketing. For mobility managers arranging group travel, the practical outcome was negligible—airport operations were unaffected—but the episode signals heightened ESG and reputational considerations when planning visible branding or incentive trips tied to national days.
![Qantas and Virgin skip Australia Day festivities as RAAF stages nationwide fly-pasts]()
Should any of those mobility managers also need to arrange short-notice visas for visiting crew, international delegates or media, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online portal that can process Australian eVisitor, ETA and work permits in parallel, complete with real-time tracking and group-application support, keeping itineraries on schedule (https://www.visahq.com/australia/).
By contrast, the Royal Australian Air Force mounted one of its largest ceremonial air displays in a decade, featuring F-35s, MH-60R Seahawks, the Roulettes aerobatic team and restored heritage aircraft. Defence officials said the fly-pasts were a chance to “reflect on service and sacrifice,” deliberately framing the event as inclusive rather than celebratory.
Travel advisers note that temporary airspace restrictions during the fly-pasts caused minor holding patterns for inbound commercial flights at Brisbane and Sydney between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., although airlines padded schedules to avoid missed connections.
In internal memos seen by The Australian, both carriers encouraged respectful discussion among employees but warned against social-media posts that could be perceived as politicised. Operational schedules continued as normal, with no special holiday pay for staff rostered on 26 January—a sore point for unions advocating for substitute public-holiday leave.
Industry analysts say the airlines’ low-key stance reflects a broader corporate shift: sponsorship deals celebrating Australia Day have dropped 40 per cent since 2022, replaced by neutral “Summer Long Weekend” marketing. For mobility managers arranging group travel, the practical outcome was negligible—airport operations were unaffected—but the episode signals heightened ESG and reputational considerations when planning visible branding or incentive trips tied to national days.
Should any of those mobility managers also need to arrange short-notice visas for visiting crew, international delegates or media, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online portal that can process Australian eVisitor, ETA and work permits in parallel, complete with real-time tracking and group-application support, keeping itineraries on schedule (https://www.visahq.com/australia/).
By contrast, the Royal Australian Air Force mounted one of its largest ceremonial air displays in a decade, featuring F-35s, MH-60R Seahawks, the Roulettes aerobatic team and restored heritage aircraft. Defence officials said the fly-pasts were a chance to “reflect on service and sacrifice,” deliberately framing the event as inclusive rather than celebratory.
Travel advisers note that temporary airspace restrictions during the fly-pasts caused minor holding patterns for inbound commercial flights at Brisbane and Sydney between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., although airlines padded schedules to avoid missed connections.
