David Eyre

Philippine Airlines direct Manila – Perth services commences

RP-C9936 Airbus A321-271N of Philippine Airlines, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 27 March 2023. **First direct service between Manila and Perth and first visit by Philippine Airlines A321NEO.** Flight PR223 from Manila, taxying in at 6:42am with fire crews providing a water cannon welcome. Photo © David Eyre.

Philippine Airlines direct Manila – Perth services commences

David Eyre 27 March 2023

27 March 2023 Philippine Airlines first direct service between Manila and Perth commenced today, with the first service receiving the traditional water cannon welcome from Perth Airport Rescue and...

54+37 Airbus A400M-180 (MSN 113) of LTG 62 (German: Lufttransportgeschwader 62 = Air Transport Wing 62) of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 6 March 2023. On approach to runway 24 at 4:44pm as 'GERMAN AIR FORCE 062', arriving from Avalon, Victoria after participating in the Australian International Air Show 2023. The aircraft departed on 8 March 2023 to Subang, Malaysia, again using the callsign 'GERMAN AIR FORCE 062'. Photo © David Eyre.

German Air Force Airbus A400M visits Perth

David Eyre 8 March 2023

8 March 2023 A rare visitor today was a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Airbus A400M-180 Atlas transport aircraft, serial 54+37 (MSN 113) of LTG 62 (German: Lufttransportgeschwader 62 =...

EC-MQM Airbus A340-313X of Plus Ultra, named 'Santa María Portugalete', at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 3 February 2023. First visit. Charter flight for the World Marathon Challenge 2023. PUE942 from Madrid via Cape Town landing on runway 03 at 2:01pm. Was originally scheduled to arrive the previous day. Departed Perth at 6:40am the next day as PUE943 to Dubai World Central. Built in 2001, MSN 399, ex F-GNII Air France, delivered to Plus Ultra from June 2017. Photo © David Eyre.

Interesting movements

Plus Ultra (Spain) Airbus A340-300 visits Perth on charter for World Marathon Challenge 2023.

David Eyre 3 February 2023

3 February 2023 A rare visitor to Perth today was EC-MQM Airbus A340-313X of Plus Ultra, named ‘Santa María Portugalete’, on a charter flight for the World Marathon Challenge...

63-8879 Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of 6th Air Refuelling Wing, US Air Force, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 26 January 2023. 'BOLT 01' taxying in at 3:24pm. Based at MacDill AFB, Florida, USA. Originally delivered to the USAF as a KC-135A on 31 July 1964 and converted to KC-135R in February 1993. Arrived with another KC-135R 57-1483 'KNIGHT 01' from the 92nd Air Refuelling Wing, based at Fairchild AFB, Washington State, USA. The two aircraft circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere in an endurance mission covering roughly 20,000 miles over seven days, to demonstrate their global reach capability. They flew MacDill Air Force Base (Florida, USA) - Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - Cape Town (South Africa) - Perth. They departed on 27 January 2023 to Christchurch (New Zealand), then on 28 January to Papeete (Tahiti). 57-1483 then flew direct to Fairchild AFB in Washington State, USA, while 63-8879 instead flew to MacDill AFB. Photo © David Eyre

US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers visit Perth Airport on world circumnavigation exercise

David Eyre 26 January 2023

26 January 2023 A pair of US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Statotankers passed through Perth Airport on 26-27 January 2023 as part of an exercise to demonstrate their global...

A7-APG Airbus A380-861 of Qatar Airways at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 6 December 2022. **Resumption of Qatar Airways A380 on Doha - Perth route**. Replacing the previous daily Boeing 777-300ER, the A380 has returned to Perth services for the first time since 31 March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel. Flight QR900 from Doha is seen here about to land on runway 21 at Perth at sunset. Photo © Nick Stubbs-Ross

Qatar Airways replaces Boeing 777-300ER with Airbus A380 on Doha – Perth services

David Eyre 6 December 2022

From today (6 December 2022), Qatar Airways has replaced the previous daily Boeing 777-300ER aircraft used on Doha – Perth services with the Airbus A380. A7-APG operated the QR900...

EC-NCK Airbus A330-243 of Wamos Air, leased to Air New Zealand, at Perth Airport - 15 November 2022. First visit to Perth. Arriving on runway 03 as flight NZ173 from Auckland. This aircraft was wet-leased (aircraft plus crew) from Spanish airline Wamos Air to enable Air New Zealand to build capacity, while bringing other stored aircraft back online after the COVID-19 pandemic. EC-NCK was flown to New Zealand on 10 November 2022 and entered service on the Perth route from 15 November 2022, operating daily as NZ173 from Auckland and departing as NZ174. EC-NCK operated its final Perth-Auckland service on 27 April 2023 and was replaced by EC-NBN until 28 October 2023, when Air New Zealand resumed its own Boeing 787 service on the route. Photo © Max Schimpf

Wamos Air A330 leased by Air New Zealand for Perth services

David Eyre 15 November 2022

An Airbus A330-200 aircraft has been wet-leased (aircraft plus crew) from Spanish airline Wamos Air since 15 November 2022, to enable Air New Zealand to build capacity while bringing...

9M-XXQ Airbus A330-343X of AirAsia X, over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia - 4 November 2022. **Resumption of scheduled passenger services from Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia X** The previous regular scheduled passenger service by AirAsia X was on 20 March 2020, when they ceased due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (though three freight services were operated in January 2021). Flight D7 236 from Kuala Lumpur seen here heading east to approach Perth Airport's runway 21 at 7:38am. Photo © David Eyre

Airline Services

AirAsia X resumes Kuala Lumpur – Perth services

David Eyre 4 November 2022

AirAsia X today resumed scheduled passenger services between Kuala Lumpur and Perth, with Airbus A330-300 9M-XXQ operating flight D7236 from Kuala Lumpur this morning, returning as D7 237. The...

3B-NBU Airbus A330-941neo of Air Mauritius, named 'Aapravasi Ghat', over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia – 20 November 2022. Flight MK440 from Mauritius, heading northeast to join the approach to Perth Airport's runway 21 at 8:53am. Photo © David Eyre.

Air Mauritius resumes Mauritius – Perth services

David Eyre 2 November 2022

Air Mauritius today (2 November 2022) resumed services from Mauritius, with Airbus A330-900neo 3B-NBU operating flight MK440 / MK441. The airline had operated twice per week between Perth and...

A6-EEO Airbus A380-861 of Emirates at Perth Airport, Western Australia – 1 November 2022. Landing on runway 21 as flight EK420 from Dubai at 5:09pm. Photo © David Eyre.

Emirates resumes A380 on Dubai – Perth services

David Eyre 1 November 2022

Emirates today (1 November 2022) switched back to the Airbus A380 on the EK420 / EK421 Dubai – Perth services, upgrading from the previous Boeing 777-300ER. Emirates A380-861 A6-EEO...

Artist impression of the Leonardo AW139 rescue helicopter over Perth. Image courtesy of CHC - Dietmar Rabich.

WA Aviation News

Leonardo AW139 to replace Bell 412EP Emergency Rescue Helicopters

David Eyre 1 June 2022

Rome, 01 June 2022: Leonardo announced that CHC Australia has ordered three new Leonardo AW139 helicopters, under contract to the State of Western Australia, for Western Australia’s Emergency Rescue...

Artist impression of the new $10 million heliport at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).

New $10 million heliport for Royal Perth Hospital

David Eyre 26 May 2022

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson today opened Royal Perth Hospital’s (RPH) new 788 square metre $10 million heliport. The new heliport will allow the...

A6-ENV Boeing 777-31HER (MSN 41368/1243) of Emirates at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 17 August 2021. Flight EK2668 (freight flight) from Dubai, landing on runway 03. Photo © David Eyre.

Airline Services

Airline services to Perth resuming after WA border opening

David Eyre 8 March 2022

8 March 2022 David Eyre Western Australia’s COVID-19 border closure was lifted at 12:01am on 3 March 2022, with the arrival of the first domestic flight, Qantas flight QF653...

VH-VGP Airbus A320-232 (MSN 4343) of Jetstar, at Perth Airport - 16 March 2018. Photo © David Eyre. VH-VGP is parked at bay 150A at 6:21am. It departed as flight JQ110 to Denpasar (Bali), at 7:21am. Behind are: B-LAQ Airbus A330-343 (MSN 1349) of Cathay Pacific, arriving at Bay 151 as CX133 from Hong Kong. PK-GPV Airbus A330-343X (MSN 1577) of Garuda Indonesia, parked at Bay 153 - it departed later as flight GA727 to Denpasar (Bali). 9V-SSB Airbus A330-343X (MSN 1517) of Singapore Airlines, parked at bay 154, it departed as flight SQ224 to Singapore. 9M-XXJ Airbus A330-343X (MSN 1423) of AirAsia X, parked at Bay 155, prior to departing as D7 237 to Kuala Lumpur. PK-LBG Boeing 737-9GPER (MSN 38688/4414) of Batik Air Indonesia, parked at Bay 156, prior to departing as flight ID6008 to Denpasar (Bali).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: Impacts on foreign airlines operating to Western Australia

David Eyre 15 January 2022

14 January 2022 © David Eyre NOTE: If you note any errors or missing information, please let us know using the comments. Travel restrictions/bans imposed On 1 February 2020,...

VH-LWO Pilatus PC-12/47E (MSN 1935) registered to Pilatus Flugzeugwerke, at Stans, Switzerland - 5 January 2021. Awaiting delivery to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Operations), based at Jandakot Airport, Western Australia. It was initially registered HB-FXU to Pilatus on 16 December 2019, built for another customer who seems not to have taken delivery. Instead registered VH-LWO on 23 December 2020. Photo © Stephan Widmer (with permission)

Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations to take delivery of PC-12NG VH-LWO

David Eyre 7 January 2021

7 January 2021 (UPDATED 5 February 2021) © David Eyre (Photos © Stephan Widmer – with thanks) Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Western Operations took delivery of its final...

David Eyre

Philippine Airlines direct Manila – Perth services commences

German Air Force Airbus A400M visits Perth

Plus Ultra (Spain) Airbus A340-300 visits Perth on charter for World Marathon Challenge 2023.

US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers visit Perth Airport on world circumnavigation exercise

Qatar Airways replaces Boeing 777-300ER with Airbus A380 on Doha – Perth services

Wamos Air A330 leased by Air New Zealand for Perth services

AirAsia X resumes Kuala Lumpur – Perth services

Air Mauritius resumes Mauritius – Perth services

Emirates resumes A380 on Dubai – Perth services

Leonardo AW139 to replace Bell 412EP Emergency Rescue Helicopters

New $10 million heliport for Royal Perth Hospital

Airline services to Perth resuming after WA border opening

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: Impacts on foreign airlines operating to Western Australia

Sport Aircraft Builders Club Annual Fly-in, Serpentine Airfield: 17 October 2021

Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations to take delivery of PC-12NG VH-LWO

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