Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Thursday it was not routing flights through Russia’s airspace, joining a growing number of Asian airlines avoiding the area after the invasion of Ukraine despite longer flight times. “We regularly review our flight routings internally and also with information provided by external parties,” Cathay said. “We are currently not flying through Russian airspace.” <br/>
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A four-year ATSB report has identified a catalogue of basic errors made by Malaysia Airlines staff that led to a ‘serious incident’ on a packed A330 at Brisbane. The aircraft, bound for Kuala Lumpur and carrying 215 passengers, eventually had to turn around mid-air and return home after it was identified too late that the vital airspeed sensors were covered up. Two similar incidents in 1996 involving 757s led to fatal crashes that killed more than 200 people. The ATSB said its investigation into the 2018 incident was “one of its most substantive and complex” in recent years and highlighted poor decisions made by Malaysia Airlines pilots and crew, alongside those from other organisations. Story has more details of the findings.<br/>
Malaysia will participate in the joint legal action against Russia by the governments of Australia and the Netherlands over the downing of MH17, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. He said the country would participate in the deliberation under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO) in accordance with the Chicago Convention. “The government of Malaysia reiterates its commitment to a judicial process that is conducted transparently under international laws against parties responsible for the horrific July 17, 2014, tragedy. “We are committed to seeking justice for the families of the victims including the 43 Malaysian nationals on board the aircraft,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday. On Tuesday, it was reported that Australia and the Netherlands said they had begun joint legal action against Russia at the ICAO over the attack on MH17. There were 38 Australians and 196 Dutch passengers aboard the flight. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement that Russia was responsible under international law for the downing of the flight, and action in the United Nations’ aviation council was a step forward in the fight for justice for the victims.<br/>
New Zealand’s new border reopening date for Australian tourists will see Qantas and Jetstar start to ramp up flights across the Tasman. From April 13, the airlines will operate up to 30 return flights a week across five trans-Tasman routes, up from the two return Qantas flights currently being operated. Qantas will fly daily from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Auckland and Sydney to Christchurch, using a mix of its Boeing 737s and wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft. Meanwhile, Jetstar, which had suspended all trans-Tasman flights, will resume three weekly flights from the Gold Coast to Auckland using its Airbus A320 aircraft. Qantas Group is taking a far more gradual approach with this border reopening plan than when the trans-Tasman bubble was launched in April 2021. At that time, Qantas and Jetstar announced they would be initially operating up to 122 return flights a week on 15 routes, including two new Qantas routes from the Gold Coast and Cairns to Auckland.<br/>