AirAsia cancels flights from Australia

Budget airline AirAsia has announced a decision to suspend services between Melbourne and Adelaide and Denpasar in Bali.

Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, general manager of Indonesia AirAsia, said the current operating environment has made these routes "no longer viable".

“This decision has been made in response to the sustained increase in global jet fuel prices caused by the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East," he said.

"This operating environment has led to the need to re-focus our network on routes that remain operationally viable at this time.

“AirAsia understands the suspension impacts long-made travel plans and we apologise for the inconvenience this decision has caused, and we want to thank our guests for their support and understanding.”

The airline's teams are contacting affected customers directly, detailing the options available.

Where possible, AirAsia is committed to getting guests to their destination either through date changes, or via its Kuala Lumpur hub.

The last flights operating between Melbourne to Denpasar and Adelaide to Denpasar will be on June 18. The impacted services are operated by Indonesia AirAsia.

Wine tasting, a stroll and some hairy cows

There is more than just wine to enjoy at the Two Hands winery cellar door in the Barossa, local tourism folk report.

One of the newer experiences in South Australia's wine central is the Kraehe Nature Trail, promoted as a "serene, self-guided walking experience" in Marananga.

The "easy-going" trail starts at cellar door and winds along the Kraehe House Block vineyard, offering views of Seppeltsfield Road palms and the historic Marananga church, with opportunities to also engage with the resident Scottish Highland cattle.

Featuring informative signs on local history and sustainability, along with 250+ new native plants, the family-friendly trail is open during cellar door hours.

The cattle came about because Two Hands proprietor Michael Twelftree has always loved cows and when the opportunity came to have his own, he jumped at the chance.

⁠Brutus was a character in Twelftree's favourite childhood comic, Asterix, and is now the name of a bullish hairy critter.

Records show that Highland cattle are the oldest registered breed in the world and, interestingly, a group of Highland Cattle is not called a herd but a “fold”. The Two Hands fold are free to graze around their large acreage paddock living the high life.

See https://twohandswines.com/pages/brutus-family

Massive upgrade for Toronto

 

Canada’s busiest airport is to get a much-need upgrade that will help it service increasing numbers of passengers, news hub Travel Pulse reports.

The upgrading project at Toronto's Pearson International Airport broke ground this week and is being billed as one of the biggest airport infrastructure projects in Canadian history. 

The first phase of the decade-long renovation will see airfield technology upgrades and expansion, as well as an overhaul of the baggage network.

“The future is very bright, and our 52,000 workers will expand to 68,000 jobs over that term, as well, at a time where good jobs, stable jobs, are very important to the country and locally,” says Pearson CEO Deborah Flint.

During phase one, which is earmarked at $3 billion dollars, a new, state-of-the-art airfield lighting control and management system will enhance visibility and guidance to support operations on runways and taxiways. 

In Terminal 1, new luggage carousels will be installed, and investments are being made across 30 kilometres of its baggage infrastructure, with new cameras and sensors for early-issue detection being added.

"We know that in today's time, Pearson must be ambitious, we must be dynamic, and we must be transformative,” says Flint.

Pearson welcomed 45 million passengers in 2025, and expects to grow to 60 million by the early 2030s.

Flint said the project includes a new high-speed taxiway to improve movement of airplanes between gates and runways.

"You hear it at many airports, but in this case, as it's completed, you'll hear less of the pilot saying: 'We're here early and we're waiting for a gate.' So this will help with that."

Ontario transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters at a news conference that Pearson is an important piece of infrastructure in the province and country.

"It's a huge step forward to modernize and expand a cornerstone of Ontario and Canada's transportation system," Sakaria said. "It means upgraded infrastructure, improved passenger experiences, expanded capacity and the ability to support Ontario's growth for decades to come."

The world still has a hunger for Australian beef

The world can't get enough of Australian beef. 

The Australian beef industry looks set to remain on a firm footing through 2026 despite record production levels, thanks to strong global demand and resilient export markets, Rabobank says in its newly-released Australian Beef Seasonal Outlook 2026.

The annual report, published by the agribusiness banking specialist’s RaboResearch division, says while record supply levels - including high cattle inventories and peak slaughter volumes – present risks, particularly if seasonal conditions deteriorate, continued demand from international markets, led by the US, is providing an important support for prices.

The report author, RaboResearch senior animal proteins analyst Angus Gidley-Baird, said successive years of favourable seasonal conditions have allowed the Australian cattle industry to rebuild inventory levels to what RaboResearch believes to be the next cyclical peak.

“This will generate record cattle slaughter and production volumes in 2026,” Gidley-Baird said.

“Despite these record volumes, a strong global market is supporting record export prices and, in turn, historically-high cattle prices, particularly for finished cattle.”

RaboResearch projects this strong export market will continue through 2026 and into 2027, driven largely by import demand from the US market.

But  the report says inflationary pressures of the Iran war and the impact on consumer sentiment will need to be monitored.

“The strong export market is expected to provide support for the Australian domestic cattle market, and we believe should hold prices around levels seen through Q1,” Gidley-Baird said.

A deterioration of seasonal conditions would be the largest risk in the system, he said.

“With high cattle inventory, dry seasonal conditions – like those conditions being experienced in parts of New South Wales – could force producers to sell stock rapidly into a market flush with cattle. 

"Slaughter volumes are already at historically high levels, adding an additional 10% to these levels as we have seen in previous drought conditions would test the capacity of the system.”

Image: Beef Australia

Angove family celebrates 140 years of winemaking

 

Angove Family Winemakers is this year celebrating 140 years of family winemaking, reinforcing its position as one of Australia’s most enduring and progressive wine producers.

Founded in 1886 and now operated by the fifth generation of family members, the South Australian winery has evolved from its humble origins in Tea Tree Gully to be an exporter to over 20 markets. 

The milestone comes as the business continues to sharpen its focus on premium McLaren Vale wines and certified organic production, two pillars driving its current growth strategy.

Chairman John Angove said the anniversary reflects both legacy and forward momentum.

“Reaching 140 years is a proud milestone, but it’s also about what comes next," he said. 

"We’ve invested in premium vineyards, organic production and building a portfolio relevant to today’s consumer.”

Strategic expansion into McLaren Vale over the past two decades, including the Warboys Vineyard and cellar door has underpinned the company’s move into premium wines, with flagship releases such as The Medhyk, Warboys and, most recently, Brightlands leading the charge.

At the same time, Angove has cemented its position as one of Australia’s leading certified organic wine producers, with the Angove Organic, Wild Olive and Naturalis ranges prominent.

Joint Managing Director Richard Angove said the business remains focused on balancing scale with premium growth.

“We have a strong foundation in the Riverland, and the opportunity is clearly in premiumisation and provenance. Building our McLaren Vale base and organic offer are key to that story.”

Remaining privately owned, Angove sees its independence as a key competitive advantage in a consolidating global market.

Joint Managing Director Victoria Angove said: “The wine industry at its heart is about people and community. We have been very fortunate to have had a committed and hard-working team contributing to all areas of the business for so many years. 

"Our shared commitment to delivering consistently high-quality products to our customers strengthens year on year. We’re equally grateful to our great suppliers, partners and of course our customers.”

Qatar Airways unveils new routes to Venezuela and Colombia

 

Qatar Airways has announced two unique routes set to open up South American travel destinations. 

The Middle East airline it top operate flights to Caracas, Venezuela, and Bogotá, Colombia, from July. 

Inaugural flights will run on July 22, meaning Qatar Airways will serve over 160 global destinations this northern summer. 

Qatar Airways becomes the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela, and the first airline to operate flights from the Middle East to Caracas and Bogotá. 

Flights will depart every Wednesday and Sunday. 

The addition of Caracas and Bogotá marks the 15th and 16th destinations in the Americas served by Qatar Airways. 

The airline began serving South America in 2010 with its inaugural flight to Sao Paolo in Brazil.

Qatar will also operate four weekly flights between Doha
and Helsinki from July 15, increasing to daily from August 10.

The carrier will also return to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from July 15.