CEO Bill Astling acquired Desert-Air Safaris in 2019 and changed the name to Koala Air. The company was then rebranded to Koala Airlines in October 2022. New charter plansAstling told Bloomberg that Koala Airlines plans to avoid competing directly with Qantas and Virgin Australia by focusing on charter flights that feed and de-feed international airlines serving Australia, with domestic sectors bundled into overseas travel itineraries. Fleet plansIn August 2025, Koala Airlines announced it had secured lease arrangements for three B737 MAX aircraft to be delivered this year, targeting a late-2026 launch for commercial operations. ch-aviation has contacted Koala Airlines for more information.