Australian Government Flight's Boeing 737-8 BBJ MAX A62-002 flies from Cebu to Melbourne

Australian Government Flight's Boeing 737-8 BBJ MAX, tail number A62-002, flew from Mactan Cebu International Airport (RPVM) in the Philippines to Melbourne Avalon International Airport (YMAV) in Australia on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The flight departed at 13:31 UTC and landed at 20:47 UTC. The trip took 7 hours and 16 minutes.

The great-circle distance between the two airports is 3,122 nautical miles (3,593 miles or 5,783 kilometers). The aircraft averaged a ground speed of 430 knots and reached a top speed of 470 knots. Its highest altitude during the flight was 37,000 feet. Based on celebplanes estimates, the jet burned about 2,035 US gallons of fuel and produced about 19,547 kilograms (19.5 metric tons) of CO2, roughly equal to driving a car 48,383 miles. The Boeing 737-8 BBJ MAX has a range of 11,390 kilometers, a service ceiling of 41,000 feet, and can seat up to 32 passengers, according to the Royal Australian Air Force (airforce.gov.au).

This was the second landing at Melbourne Avalon by Australian Government Flight's aircraft in the tracking window. The previous one was on October 7, 2026, also by A62-002. The fleet's home base is Canberra Airport (YSCB), which is 281 nautical miles from Melbourne Avalon. In the 30 days before this flight, the three aircraft on file for Australian Government Flight visited 17 airports in one country and flew about 8,662 nautical miles. The most common destinations in that period were Canberra (13 landings), Sydney (Mascot) (3 landings), and RAAF Base Amberley (2 landings).

The fleet includes two Boeing 737-8 BBJ MAX jets and three Dassault Falcon 7X jets. The Australian government is a key US ally, a Five Eyes intelligence partner, and a member of the AUKUS submarine pact, which makes travel to Washington, London, and Tokyo frequent. The Falcon 7Xs are particularly active shuttling ministers around Australia and to Pacific Island nations.

The flight from Cebu to Melbourne may relate to Australia's foreign policy focus on Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines is a major partner in regional security and economic cooperation. No public schedule for Australian Government Flight was found tied to this specific arrival.

The aircraft burned about 280 US gallons of fuel per hour during the flight. Mactan Cebu International Airport has a longest runway of 10,860 feet and an elevation of 31 feet. Melbourne Avalon International Airport has a longest runway of 10,000 feet and an elevation of 35 feet.

The aircraft had been on the ground for about three days before this trip, following a landing at Canberra on October 26. The previous flights by A62-002 included short hops between RAAF bases and trips to Sydney and Melbourne.

The longest leg in that period was from Sydney (Mascot) to Perth on October 17, 2026, covering 1,769 nautical miles. That flight was made by A62-001, another Boeing 737-8 BBJ MAX.