What Happened
Australian Carrier Joins Calls To Retain Midway Island As Alternate
Qantas has joined other carriers in calling for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to retain Midway Island airport as an Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) option. The Australian carrier is concerned that losing Midway as an alternate would impact its pending A350-1000(ULR) operations, particularly its direct London Heathrow route. Qantas also announced plans to launch non-stop Sydney Kingsford Smith-New York JFK flights in mid-2028 using its A350-1000(ULR) aircraft. This development was first reported by ch-aviation.