Major budget airline goes out of business

US ultra low-cost airline Spirit Airlines is no more.

The airline cancelled all flights effective immediately on Saturday morning US time, and told passengers not to go to airports for their flights.

The airline's website homepage, where customers could previously make reservations, has a bright yellow banner declaring that Spirit was “winding down all operations,” The New York Times reported.

The budget airline had lost billions of dollars in recent years, filing for bankruptcy in 2024 and 2025.

The Trump administration offered a $US500 million federal lifeline, but the airline’s investors and government officials could not reach an agreement on how to structure a deal to save the company.

“Unfortunately, despite the company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook,” the airline said. 

“With no additional funding available to the company, Spirit had no choice but to begin this wind-down.”

In 2023 n 2023, Miami-based Spirit was the seventh-largest passenger carrier in North America with a business model based on keeping costs very low and offering customers cheap tickets.

It had over 130 aircraft in its fleet and served 70 destinations.

Scraps to shiraz: Meet Australia's innovative "circular wine"

The Australian wine industry has another innovation under its belt, with Canberra district winemaker Four Winds Vineyard this week releasing Australia’s first "circular wine"’, using insect‑derived fertiliser created from food waste through a partnership with ag‑tech company Goterra and one of Australia’s largest hotels, Hyatt Regency Sydney.

The system converts food waste from the hotel into fertiliser used in the vineyard rather than sending the waste to landfill. Grapes from the vines nourished by the fertiliser are then turned into a new Circular Vintage series being served by the hotel.

Pretty neat.

The innovation offers a practical alternative model for vineyard nutrient management at a time when fertiliser supply and input costs are under increasing pressure thanks to an orange ballroom-building clown.

The initiative applies circular‑economy principles with a shiraz the first release, to be followed by a riesling.

Food waste from the Hyatt Regency is consumed by flies and recycled on-site into a rich frass, or fertiliser, which then nourishes the vines that produce the grapes that return to the hotel in the form of Four Winds Vineyard’s 2025 Circular Vintage Shiraz.

The waste from the Hyatt’s kitchens goes directly into Goterra’s specially built modular infrastructure for Biological Services (MIB) unit in the hotel’s basement.



Four Winds Vineyard CEO Sarah Collingwood says the circular wine project made perfect sense for the family-run vineyard, 30 minutes’ drive from Canberra, which won the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for its 2023 Shiraz at the 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards.

“We loved the idea of being able to return nutrients to the soil rather than having them end up in landfill,” Collingwood. 

“For us, this was about finding a practical way to close the loop between food, farming and wine and we’re incredibly proud to put our name to The Circular Vintage series, which shows that innovation and quality can go hand in hand.

“The Circular Vintage Shiraz is a typical cool-climate shiraz with distinctive white pepper and spice characters. We are equally excited about the riesling, which has been hand-picked recently and has the delicate citrus and floral flavours you come to expect from a Canberra District riesling.”

Hyatt Regency Sydney executive assistant manager Nitin Kumar, who established strong connections with local winemakers during his previous tenure at Park Hyatt Canberra, said Four Winds Vineyard stood out as a producer that shared the hotel’s commitment to quality and innovation.

“Partnering with Four Winds Vineyard on an Australia-first initiative like this allows us to showcase wines with a story that resonates well beyond the glass,” Kumar says.

"We're literally serving our guests wine grown from their breakfast," said Sven Ullrich, the hotel's executive chef.

"It sounds wild, but it's actually the most natural thing in the world, returning nutrients to the soil instead of sending waste to landfill."

See www.fourwindsvineyard.com.au

Cruise tourism provides huge economic benefits in south-east Asia

 

Love them or loathe them, cruise ships provide major economic benefits for host ports.

In south-east Asia, for instance, the cruise industry generated US$10 billion in total output in 2024, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

The findings come from from the inaugural Economic Impact Assessment of Cruise Tourism for Southeast Asian countries, produced by Tourism Economics for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The study highlighted the region’s cruise industry economic contributions in 2024, reinforcing the strategic importance of south-east Asia in the global cruise landscape. It also underscored how the cruise industry brings substantial economic returns to destinations across the region.

“This study reinforces south-east Asia’s strong cruise tourism value proposition, driven by a growing middle class, rising demand for diverse travel experiences, and rich destination variety," said Jean Ng, assistant chief executive, Experience Development Group, Singapore Tourism Board. 

"As ASEAN’s lead co-ordinator for cruise developments, Singapore is committed to working with regional neighbours and global industry partners to unlock south-east Asia’s full potential for cruising and build a compelling destination network that attracts cruise lines while delivering sustainable economic benefits across the region.”

Bud Darr, president and CEO of CLIA, added: “We greatly value the collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board on this project. 

"Their partnership enabled us to broaden the annual CLIA Economic Impact Studies and, for the first time, measure the economic contribution of cruise tourism across south-east Asia within our global analysis. 

"The results underscore the region’s growing role as a driver of jobs, economic activity, and a global cruise sector that brings unforgettable travel experiences to millions of guests worldwide.”
south-east Asia generates strong economic returns from cruise tourism

"South-east Asia’s cruise tourism recorded a strong performance in 2024, contributing US$4.5 billion to regional GDP and 5% of global cruise-related GDP. 

"This strong showing is reinforced by positive passenger sentiment, with 85% of cruise travellers rating their south-east Asian experience positively and nearly half (47%) expressing intent to return for land-based travel. This attests to the sector’s potential to drive broader tourism growth."

Market concentration data reveals Singapore and Malaysia collectively accounted for 70% of south-east Asian cruise passenger visits in 2024.

Potential pommelier? Here's what you need to know

Australians who want to learn more about cider are in luck. 

 
For the first time, Australia is getting an internationally recognised Cider Certification with Lee Reeve landing in October with the American Cider Association’s education program, Cider Australia announced. 

Reeve is the owner-operator of inCider Japan and the Japan Cider Guide and is also the organiser of the Japan Cider Cup tasting competition and international cider event. 

He is described as the principal expert on cider in Asia and is a licensed educator for the American Cider Association, regarded as the leading international authority for cider education.

Reeve will be hosting a Certified Pommelier™ exam while in Australia - the first time this is being offered on Australian soil. 

The Certified Cider Professional Program is the ACA’s foremost cider education program designed to provide food and beverage professionals and enthusiasts worldwide with the knowledge and skills to understand and share the joy and nuances of cider.

This program currently boasts two distinct levels of certification. Certified Cider Guide (CCG) is the first level of certification designed as a fundamental course and is a prerequisite for the second level of certification.

Certified Pommelier (CP) is the second level and is a more advanced certification that covers more in depth cider knowledge, and includes a blind sensory evaluation.

The Certified Pommelier exam will take place in Sydney in mid October - date and venue will be released soon.

See https://www.cideraustralia.org.au/

How the Olympic Games can boost Queensland produce

Queensland should use the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games to showcase regional foods, an academic paper released this week says.

Mooloolaba prawns, Sunshine Coast macadamias and Granite Belt olive oil on the menu at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games could create lasting value for local businesses and communities, a University of Queensland report says.

Professor Janet McColl-Kennedy from UQ’s Business School and Lead of the Innovation Pathways Program at Australia's Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) says in the the Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games White Paper.

“Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games is far more than a catering challenge - we want to showcase Queensland’s clean, nutritious and distinctive produce,” Professor McColl‑Kennedy said.

“The Games are a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to highlight Australian innovation, strengthen supply chains and deliver a legacy for how food is produced, distributed and experienced.”

The report aims to capitalise on bolstered tourist numbers.

As well as expected peaks in domestic tourism to the Brisbane 2032 Games, the white paper recommended identifying food trends among consumers and making Australian produce the star of the meals.

“We could use Queensland-caught seafood on sushi and serve mezze platters with Emerald’s chickpeas, an array of vegetables from the Lockyer Valley and native finger limes,” McColl-Kennedy said.

“Identifying food consumption trends is key to success, such as consumers being more health-conscious and wanting to know where the food is coming from.

“As well as food that tastes good, many consumers want personalised food experiences so a simple meal of freshly caught fish overlooking a river at sunset can be special.

“By planning early, Brisbane 2032 can balance innovation with ethics, personalise food experiences and build resilient systems for producers, consumers and communities long after the Games are over.”

The report recommends collaborations with Indigenous communities to support the production of native produce, as well as the broader agricultural industry to address worker shortages and resourcing challenges.

UQ vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AO said Brisbane 2032 gave Australia a powerful platform to build long-term sustainable partnerships across government, industry and the education sector that would define the legacy of the Games.

“Universities are home to some of Queensland’s best thinkers and problem solvers - in areas as diverse as food systems, health science, urban planning and sustainability,” Professor Terry said.

“With the right investment and coordination, decisions made now can deliver a stronger, more resilient food system that delivers benefits for regional development and industry capability well beyond 2032.”

The white paper is intended to inform industry stakeholders, policymakers and Games planners as preparations for Brisbane 2032 continue.

Read the Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games White Paper on the FaBA website.

Marx takes the reins at historic Sevenhill

Sevenhill Cellars in the Clare Valley has only had nine previous winemakers over its 175-year history.

Ben Marx, appointed this week as chief winemaker, is the 10th.

The Australian Province of the Society of Jesus - The Jesuits - and the board of Sevenhill Cellars made the announcement as the winery celebrated 175 years of continuous operation.

Marx is described as "a widely experienced and highly awarded winemaker and grape grower".

He joins Sevenhill after winemaking roles at Knappstein and Jim Barry Wines and brings what Sevenhill says is "a deep understanding of Clare’s viticultural landscape, a firm grounding in its traditions and a clear vision for its stylistic evolution".

Founded in 1851, Sevenhill is the Clare Valley’s foundation winery and for its first 150 years winemaking was conducted by Jesuits. Marx becomes only the third non-Jesuit winemaker in 175 years, following Liz Heidenreich and Will Shields.

In addition to its award-winning contemporary wines, Sevenhill is the leading producer of sacramental wines in the Asia-Pacific region.

“After seven years at Jim Barry’s I am more than excited to join the team at Sevenhill Cellars - a new challenge, a fruit resource second to none and a team committed to not only be around for another 175 years but also to make wine of global benchmark quality," Marx said.

"With some major developments happening over the next few years and the commitment of the Jesuits, I can’t wait to get started.”