Qantas is increasing services to Western Australian mining towns enjoying the global minerals boom led by the surging Chinese economy. The airline will add five weekly services from Perth, the state capital, to Port Hedland, an important center for the iron ore industry, plus three to Broome and two to Newman. Boeing 737s will replace 717s on services to Karratha and Kalgoorlie, the latter a key gold mining town. The state of Western Australia is about four times as big as Texas.

Indonesian government will sell up to 40% of Garuda Indonesia in an initial public offering, possibly this year, but will not immediately pursue its plan to bring in a strategic partner for the barely profitable carrier. The timing will depend on the state of financial markets, however, says state Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil. If the sale doesn’t go through this year, then it will be next year, he says.

A low-cost subsidiary based abroad is likely to be All Nippon Airways’ solution to the problem of meeting a foreign budget-airline invasion of its high-cost homeland. The Japanese carrier’s long-running plans for a budget offshoot are becoming firmer. The company now says it could have such a subsidiary operating in the coming financial year, beginning on Apr. 1.