As Alan Joyce runs for cover, with the Australian public baying for blood, it's a good time to remember that the underlying problem goes well beyond Mr Joyce or indeed Qantas. For decades, thanks to privatisation, once-loved Australian institutions have been hollowed out by international profit-making entities, while still pretending to have national interests at heart. Now we're all paying for the consequences.

A QantasLink service from Sydney touched down in Ballina Byron Gateway Airport yesterday to a water cannon welcome from two fire trucks. It was the first flight from the airline into Ballina for fifteen years.

A Lennox Head based Qantas pilot is believed to have deliberately crashed his light plane into the ocean off Byron Bay, Sydney media has reported.

After a year described as one of the worst for the aviation industry, Qantas has been named the world's safest airline.

Three Qantas flights have been forced to make unplanned landings, with dozens of passengers from one plane needing medical treatment.

Qantas has suffered a record $2.8 billion loss following another poor performance from its international division and its battle with rival Virgin.

Labor is welcoming news that plans to allow unlimited foreign ownership of Qantas have been sidelined.