News Desk

News of the Acquisition is Likely to Increase the Chances That the South Carolina Facility May Form the Basis for a Second 787 Final Assembly Line, However Boeing’s Randy Tinseth Wrote on His Blog on July X That No Decision on the Location of a Possible Second 787 Line Has Been Made.

Boeing Previously Acquired Vought’s 50 Per Cent Share in Fellow 787 Supplier Global Aeronautica, Which is a Joint Venture With Alenia, in [june] Last Year to Address Quality Control Issues With the 787.

Quickstep Signs New Agreement Quickstep Holdings Has Signed a Memorandum of Understanding With Boeing and Airbus Supplier Composites Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd Which It Says Will Help Both Companies Fast-track Quickstep’s Out-of-autoclave Composite Manufacturing Technology.

“this Arrangement Complements Our Existing Portfolio of Global Alliances and Strong Relationships With Major Global Aerospace Companies Including the Eads Group, as Well as Tier One Manufacturers and Suppliers to These Organisations,” Quickstep Ceo Phillippe Odouard Said. “we Will Work Closely With Ctrm to Apply the Quickstep Process to the Commercial Production of Aerospace Parts, in Particular for the Airbus A350 Program, Which Because of Its High Usage of Composites, is One of the Key Drivers of the Forecast Expansion of Demand for Composite Components,” Mr Odouard Commented.

Western Australia Based Quickstep Recently Gained As9100 Certification, Allowing It to Start Production of Aerospace Parts From Its North Coogee Facility. While It Holds a Patent on Out-of-autoclave Composites, the Company is Also Able to Offer Traditional Composites Manufacture. Quickstep Also Has Separate Agreements With Companies Including Edag Australia and Bae Systems for the Production of Composites for the Aerospace and Defence Industries.

Quickstep Gains Certification Wa Based Company Quickstep Technologies Has Received Its As9100 International Aerospace Quality Standard Certification, Clearing the Way for the Company to Start Production of Aerospace Parts at Its North Coogee Facility. “as9100 Now Covers Our Business Processes, Including All Composite Manufacturing Programs Using Either Conventional Autoclave or Quickstep Out-of-autoclave Solutions,” Said Quickstep Ceo Philippe Odouard.

Quickstep Has Been Actively Seeking Out Opportunities to Manufacture Components for the Aerospace and Defence Industries. The Company Also Has Teaming Arrangements With Bae Systems and Edag Australia, as Well as Research and Development Contracts With the Us Department of Defense on Out-of-autoclave Composites.

Quickstep Also Announced on June 17 That It Has Received $2. 6 Million in Funding From the Federal Government’s Ausindustry Climate Ready Program to Achieve Mass Production of Composite Parts for the Aerospace and Motor Vehicle Industries Using Its Resin Spray Transmission Technology. “if Widely Adopted, This Has the Potential to Make a Substantial Contribution to Addressing the Impact of Climate Change by Making Low Cost, Light Weight Composite Parts Widely Available for Automotive Vehicles and the Aerospace Sector,” Said Odouard. “it is Widely Recognised That Co2 Emissions Are Reduced by Lowering Vehicle Weight Through the Use of Composites. ” Final Assembly on First Ana 787 Starts Boeing Has Started Final Assembly of the First 787-8 Dreamliner for Launch Customer All Nippon Airlines, Which Celebrated the Occasion With a Traditional ‘kagami Wari’ Ceremony, the Breaking Open of a Wooden ‘taru’ (Sake Barrel) Lid With Wooden Mallets.

“This is a Great Day for the 787 Team,” Said Scott Fancher, Vice President and General Manager of the 787 Program. “in 2004, Ana Demonstrated Great Faith in Boeing and the 787 by Placing the Largest Launch Order for Any New Airplane in Boeing History. Since Then, the Ana Team Has Been an Integral Part of Developing the 787 Family of Airplanes. ” Ana is Set to Take Delivery of Its First 787-8 (Za100) in the First Quarter of 2010. The Airline Has Also Recently Stepped in to Take a Number of Early Delivery Slots After a Number of Chinese Carriers Chose to Delay Deliveries of Their 787s. Ana is Also Now the Only Customer for the Short-range 787-3, for Which Design Work Was Suspended Last Year Due to a Realignment of Resources Towards the 787-9 Program (Japan Air Lines Recently Swapped Its 787-3 Orders for More 787-8s).

Cseries Gathers Momentum Bombardier Says That Development of Its Cseries Airliner is Progressing Well, and Revealed That the Aircraft Will Make Its First Flight in 2012, Ahead of Certification and Delivery in 2013.

Bombardier is Building a High Tech Cseries Aircraft Testing Facility, Complete Integrated Aircraft Systems Test Area at Mirabel, Near Montreal, Which Will Include the Cseries Integrated Systems Test Certification Rig. All of the Flight Control Systems, Avionics, Electrical and Environmental Controls Will Be Tested One Year in Advance of the Flight Test Program. Construction of the Facility is Due to Commence in the Second Half of 2009.

Work on the Cseries’s Wing Has Also Been Underway at Bombardier’s Belfast Facility and is Tracking on Schedule With a Preproduction Demonstrator Program Currently Verifying the Design, Manufacturing and Assembly Processes of the Wing.

The Canadian Manufacturer Currently Holds Firm Orders for 50 Cseries From Lufthansa and Lease Corporation International Group, and Forecasts Demand for 6300 Aircraft in the 100-149 Seat Category Through to 2028. The Cseries, Which is Being Offered in Two Size Variants Seating 110 and 130 Passengers, Will Be Powered by the Pratt & Whitney Pw100g Geared Turbofan, Which Will Help to Deliver Double-digit Reductions in Fuel Burn and Emissions.

Swinburne, Boeing Team on Manufacturing Research

Melbourne’s Swinburne University and Boeing Research & Technology Australia Have Teamed Up to Establish a New Research and Development Centre to Design and Develop New Aerospace Technologies.

Called the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Ausamrc) and Based in Melbourne, the Centre is Aimed at Helping to Improve Australia’s Competitiveness and Lead the Development of New Technologies. It Will Initially Focus on High Speed Machining, Advanced Tooling and Incremental Sheet Forming, and Will Partner With a Number of Local Manufacturers Wanting to Join the Global Aerospace Supply Chain.

“We Will Closely Involve Sme Suppliers in the Development of New Titanium, Aluminium and Magnesium Machining Technologies, to Ensure That New Technologies Are Optimised for Quick Application,” Swinburne’s Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Professor John Beynon, Said.

“Our Supply Chain Model Will Include Companies Best Able to Take Advantage of the New Technology. This Means That Once the Technology is Ready, All Parties Involved Will Know That It is Coming and Will Be Able to Adapt to It Much More Easily,” He Added.

Al Bryant, General Manager of Boeing Research and Technology, Said That the Centre Would Build on Boeing’s Collaboration With the University of Sheffield in the Uk, Which Conducts Similar Research and Development Work and Has Brought Great Benefit to Boeing and Its Uk Partners.

Uq Team Wins Airbus Competition

a Team of Students From the University of Queensland Has Been Chosen as the Inaugural Winner of Airbus’s ‘fly Your Ideas’ Competition at the Paris Airshow.

The ‘coz’ Team of Five Students, Which Includes Two From Europe, Won the €30,000 (a$52,298) First Prize for Their Idea of Using Castor Plant to Develop the First-ever Single Plant Based High Performance Composite Materials for Aircraft Cabin Components. Using Plant Based Composites is Aimed at Reducing the Weight of Aircraft Interiors, While Also Effectively Reducing the Lifecycle Emissions of Cabin Parts.

“We Wanted to Demonstrate That Composite Materials Made Entirely With Castor Plant Fibre Can Reduce the Aircraft Carbon Footprint and Enhance Environmental Protection,” Coz Team Leader Michael Heitzmann Said.

We Are Extremely Proud to Have Convinced the Jury With Our Project and We Hope It Will Have a Future in Aviation. ” “They Have Combined Original Ideas With High Quality Research Practice, and Delivered an Outcome That Has Both Industry Relevance and the Potential to Address a Global Sustainability Challenge,” Uq Vice-chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield Said.

More Than 2350 Students From 82 Countries Around the World Entered the Competition, Which Airbus Launched Nine Months Ago to Encourage Research and Development Into New Technologies Which Could Be Used to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Aviation.

Good Airshow for Engine Makers Rolls-royce and Ge Have Recorded Strong Orders From the Paris Airshow.

Rolls-royce Picked Up Orders for the Trent Xwb From Airasia for Its 15 A350-900s Ordered at Paris, With a Totalcare Services Package, as Well as an Order for Trent 700eps for 10 A330s Already on Order. Gulf Air Also Ordered Trent 700ep Engines for 20 A330s With Totalcare and Renewed Totalcare on Trent 700s Powering 10 A330s Already in Service. International Aero Engines, in Which Rolls-royce is a Senior Partner, Received Orders for V2500 Engines From Air China, Etihad and Qatar Airways With a Value to Rolls-royce of Around Us$650m (a$816m).

Ge Also Had a Busy Airshow, Gaining a Us$2. 2bn (a$2. 76bn) Order From Etihad Airways for the Genx-1b Engine to Power Its New Fleet of 35 Boeing 787-9 Aircraft and 10 Ge90-115bs to Power Boeing 777-300er Aircraft. Etihad Also Chose Engine Alliance (Which Ge is a Partner With Pratt & Whitney in) to Power Its 10 Airbus A380s on Order, as Did Reunion Based Air Austral. Cfm Industries, Which It Partners With Snecma, Also Picked Up Orders From Atlantic Airways, Cebu Pacific and Aigle Azur.

Boeing Sees Market for 29,000 New Aircraft

Boeing Still Expects a Market for Over 29,000 New Aircraft Valued at Over Us$3. 2 Trillion (a$3. 9 Trillion) Over the Next 20 Years According to Its 2009 Current Market Outlook (Cmo), Despite the Current Global Recession.

“While the Commercial Aviation Industry is Facing a Significant Downturn, It is Cyclic and Has a Long History of Declines and Upturns,” Said Randy Tinseth, Vice President of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Over the Past 30 Years, Through Both Tough and Good Times, Traffic Growth Has Averaged More Than Five Per Cent Per Year, Demonstrating the Resilience of the Market. The Long Term Outlook Points to the Next 20 Years as Being a Time in Which We See Fundamental Underlying Factors Supporting a Strong Need for New Airplanes. ” Although Down on Last Year’s Cmo 20 Year Forecast of 29,400 Aircraft, Boeing is Predicting That a Return in the Long Term to Economic Growth Will Drive Up Airline Passenger Numbers an Average of 4. 1 Per Cent Per Year Through to 2029. As a Result, 58 Per Cent of the 29,000 New Aircraft Required Will Be Due to Traffic Growth, With the Remainder Replacing Existing Aircraft.

Of the New Aircraft, 67 Per Cent Are Predicted to Be Narrowbodies, 23 Per Cent Widebodies, Seven Per Cent Regional Jets and Only Three Per Cent Large Aircraft.

Asia Pacific is Predicted to Remain the Fastest Growing Market for New Aircraft, With Passenger Growth Forecast to Average at 6. 9 Per Cent Per Annum – Far Greater Than Any Other International Market. The Region Will Also Account for 31 Per Cent of New Aircraft Deliveries.

Boeing Also Sees Consistent Growth in the Freighter Market, With a Forecast Average Growth Rate of 5. 4 Per Cent Per Annum, Which is Expected to See the World Freighter Fleet Increase From 1940 to 3250 Aircraft, Requiring 2760 New Freighters Worth Us$170bn (a$209bn).

Commercial Briefs

Airbus and South African Airways Have Started Negotiations to Save a 2002 Order for 15 A320s Due for Delivery From Next Year. Saa Said in 2004 It Was Cancelling Its Order, but Airbus Has Not Yet Acknowledged the Cancellation.

Airbus Recorded Orders for 58 Aircraft During June, Aided by the Paris Air Show.

Etihad Airways Has Cancelled an Order for One A340-600, Representing the Order for the Aircraft Which Was Destroyed After a Mishap During Ground Tests in Toulouse in 2007.

Yemenia Yemen Airways is Threatening to Cancel a Memorandum of Understanding to Buy 10 Airbus A350s if Airbus Does Not Show Enough “moral and Media Support” for the Airline Following the Crash of One of Its A310s Near the Comoros on June 29. Airbus Says It Has Offered All the Support It Offers Any Other Customer in the Circumstances.

Embraer Delivered 56 Aircraft During the Second Quarter of 2009, Including 35 Commercial Aircraft. These Were Comprised of Two Erj-145s, Seven E-170s, Three E-175s, 16 E-190s and 7 E-195s.

Boeing Delivered 125 Aircraft During the Second Quarter of 2009, Comprising 99 737ngs, Two 747s, Three 767s and 21 777s.

Airbus Delivered Its First A320 From the Final Assembly Line China (Falc) in Tianjin to Dragon Aircraft Leasing on June 23, With the Aircraft to Be Initially Leased by Sichuan Airlines. The Falc is Planning to Deliver 11 A320 and A319 Aircraft This Year, With Production to Rise to Four Per Month by the End of 2011.

Embraer Delivered the Second Prototype of Its Emb-110 Bandeirante to the Brazilian Aerospace Memorial in Sao Jose Dos Campos on June 25. Embraer Restored the Prototype Last Year, and It Will Be Put on Permanent Display at the Memorial as Part of the Company’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations This Year.

Atlas Air is Reportedly Seeking Compensation From Boeing for the Delays to the 747-8 Program. Atlas Ordered 12 747-8 Freighters in 2006.

Embraer Announced on June 12 That the Worldwide Fleet of Erj-145 Series of Regional Jets Has Logged More Than 15 Million Flight Hours, Achieving an Average Mission Completion Rate of 99. 7 Per Cent. The First Erj-145 Entered Service in December 1996.

Quickstep Holdings Has Reached an Agreement With Bae Systems Australia to Produce Carbon Fibre Components for Satellite Antennas.

Sales

Turkish Airline Sun Express Has Ordered Six Boeing 737-800s Canadian Regional Carrier Porter Airlines Has Converted Options for Two Bombardier Q400 Turboprops Into Firm Orders.

Qatar Airways Has Ordered 20 Airbus A320s and Four A321s.

Air Nostrum (Spain) Has Ordered 15 Bombardier Crj1000s, and Converted Options on Five Crj900s.

* Vietnam Airlines Has Ordered Two Additional Atr 72-500s.

Vietnam Airlines Has Ordered 16 A321s and Signed an Mou for Two Additional A350-900s.

Klm Cityhopper Has Exercised Options for Seven Embraer E-190s, With Delivery of the New Aircraft to Start in the First Half of 2010. Klm Cityhopper Holds Options on Another 11 E-190s.

Fuji Dream Airlines (Japan) Has Ordered One Embraer E-175, Representing the Conversion of an Option From Its Original Order for Two E-170s.

Royal Air Maroc (Morocco) Has Firmed an Order for Four Atr 72-600s and Two Atr 42-600s. The Airline Has Also Taken Options on Two Further Atr 72-600s.

Air Nostrum Has Ordered 10 Atr 72-600s Plus 10 Options.

Airasia X Has Ordered 10 Airbus A350-900s and Taken Options on Another Five.

Avialeasing of Russia Has Ordered 24 Sukhoi Superjet 100s.

Afrijet Airlines of Nigeria Has Ordered Four Atr 72-500s.

Japanese Lessor Mc Aviation Partners Has Ordered Two Boeing 737-800s.

Zest Airways (Philippines) Has Ordered One A320.

New Caledonia Based Air Loyaute Has Ordered Two Viking Air Dhc -6-400s. The Two Twin Otters Will Be Equipped in a 19-seat Regional Airliner Configuration With an Optional Medivac Stretcher Capability.

Aigle Azur of France Has Ordered One Airbus A319.

Wizz Air Has Ordered 50 A320s.

Cebu Pacific Has Ordered Five Additional A320s, Taking Its Outstanding Orders to 15 of the Type.

Ibex Airlines of Japan Has Ordered Four Bombardier Crj700 Nextgen Regional Jets. The Purchase Will Make It the First Operator of the Crj700 in Japan.

Virgin Altantic is Acquiring 10 Airbus A330s for Delivery in 2011-12, the Airline Announced on June 22. Six Will Be Purchased Direct From Airbus, With Four Leased From Dutch Leasing Company Aercap.

American Airlines Has Exercised Options for Eight Boeing 737-800s.

Military Raaf Re-forms 4 Squadron for Fac

Development Work the Raaf Has Re-formed 4sqn to Provide Enhanced Training for Specialist Adf Forward Air Controllers (Facs) via the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (Jtac) Course.

Formed From the Core of the Previous Forward Air Control Development Unit (Facdu) and the Raaf Special Tactics Project, 4sqn Will Operate Four Pc-9/a(F) Advanced Trainers From Raaf Base Williamtown Within 82wg and is Commanded by Wgcdr Dave Paddison.

“air Force Has Deployed Forward Air Controllers in Operations Dating Back to Vietnam, but the Re-establishment of 4sqn and the Enhancement of the Specialist Capability Represents the Next Evolution in Integrated Air and Land Operations,” Chief of Air Force Airmshl Mark Binskin Said in a Statement. “the Re-formed 4sqn Delivers Highly Skilled and Deployable Air Force Personnel Who Will Have an Essential Role in the 21st Century Battlespace. ” Airmshl Binskin Added That There is an Increasing Need for Specialist Coordinators to Work Between Air and Ground Units in Close Air Support Scenarios.

The Original 4sqn Flew Cac Wirraways and Boomerangs During Ww2.

F-111 Deseal-reseal Workers Finally Recognised a Report Into the Plight of Raaf F-111 Deseal-reseal Workers Has Been Released in Parliament and Recommends That the Medical Conditions of as Many as 2000 Workers and Their Families Be Recognised Under an Ex-gratia Payment Scheme.

The Report Recognises That All Workers Involved in Maintenance Work on the F-111’s Internal Fuel Tanks, Known as the ‘goop Troop’, and Their Families Have Suffered From the Affects of the Chemicals Used in the Cleaning and Re-sealing Process. “the Recommendations of This Inquiry, if Adopted, Will Rectify the Shortcomings of the Howard Government’s 2005 Scheme Which Was Born of Fuzzy Logic, Shrouded in Misleading Spin and Then Administered in Confusion,” Said Inquiry Chairman Arch Bevis. “those Workers Involved in Running Repairs of the Fuel Tank Leaks Undertook Work Known as ‘pick and Patch’. “without Explanation, the 2005 Scheme Provided Assistance to Workers Who Did Pick and Patch in the Formal Deseal/reseal Programs but Not to About 2000 Other Defence Personnel in Three Other Squadrons Who Undertook the Same Duties. ” the Raaf Squadrons Are 1, 6 and 482, in Addition to Those Workers From 3ad and 501wg Which Had Already Been Recognised Under the Scheme and Who Worked on the Aircraft’s Fuel Tanks From 1973 to 2000. The Inquiry Handed Down 18 Recommendations, Including That Increased Counselling Support Be Given to Workers and Families, That the Adf Urgently Employs Additional Occupational Medicine Specialists, That the Previously Stated Cutoff Date for Claims of September 20 2005 Be Removed, and That All Previously Rejected Claims Be Reviewed.

“my Hope is That the Report’s Release Brings Some Closure to Those Affected by Working in the F-111 Fuel Tanks, Some of Whom Have Waited Many Years for Recognition,” Bevis Said.

Second A330 Arrives for Brisbane Tanker Conversion

the Second of Four ‘green’ Airbus A330-200 Airframes Was Delivered to Qantas Engineering’s Brisbane Facility on June 25 for Conversion to Raaf Kc-30a Tanker Standard by the Airline.

The Aircraft, Msn969, is the Third A330 for the Raaf After the First Kc-30 Was Converted by Eads Casa (Now Airbus Military) in Spain, and the Second, Msn951, Which Has Been Undergoing Its Conversion Work at Brisbane for Over a Year Now. The First Aircraft Has Remained in Europe to Conduct the Program’s Flight Test Campaign, While the Second is Due to Join the First in Europe Later This Year.

“the First Aircraft, Msn747, Has Now Successfully Completed the Second Sub-phase of Developmental Flight Testing Which is Devoted to Boom Free Flight Data Gathering and Validation of the Kc-30 Receiver and Tanker Flight Control Laws,” Said Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet. “msn747 Has Successfully Performed Dry Contacts as a Receiver With the Eads A310 Boom Demonstrator and a French Air Force C-135 Tanker. It Has Completed Its First Dry Contact Using the New-generation Cobham 905e Hose and Drogue Refuelling Pods With a Spanish Air Force F/a-18 Fighter on 28 May 2009. ” the First Aircraft Was Initially to Have Been Delivered Earlier This Year, but Delays in Conducting and Validating Much of the Prototype Modification Work in Europe, Which Have in-turn Flowed on to the Work Being Done at Brisbane, Has Pushed the Program Back by More Than 12 Months. Eads Told ‘aa’ Late Last Year That It Had Hoped to Catch Up on Some of the Delays Encountered During the Structural Modification Phase and Deliver the First Aircraft Before the End of 2009, but Much Flight Test Work Still Remains Including the All-important First Transfer of Fuel Through the Tanker’s Boom to a Receiver Aircraft.

As Msn747 Will Have to Have Much of Its Flight Test Equipment and Wiring Removed at the Conclusion of the Flight Test Campaign Early Next Year, Combet Confirmed in His Statement That Msn951 Will Be the First Aircraft Delivered to the Raaf, “around Mid-2010”, a Full Two Years After the Service’s Last 707 Tanker Transport Was Retired in June 2008.

Obama Lifeline for C-17

the Obama Administration Has Thrown Boeing’s C-17 Production Line a Lifeline by Appropriating Us$2. 17bn (a$2. 69bn) for an Additional Eight Airlifters for the Usaf as Part of a Us$106bn (a$131bn) Package Which Includes Additional War Funds for Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Additional Money Takes the Us Buy for the C-17 to 199 Units and Keeps the Line Open for at Least Another Year Into 2011, Thus Bridging the Gap Between the Previously Scheduled End of Us Production at 191 Aircraft in Early 2010, and Potential Future Foreign Sales of the Aircraft.

Indeed, Boeing Officials Were Bullish on Possible Foreign Sales of the C-17 at the Recent Paris Airshow in Addition to the Uk, Australia, Canada and Qatar Who Have Ordered 15 C-17s Between Them. The Uae and India Are Also Seen as Good Chances in Addition to European Nations Who Have Been Affected by Delays to Airbus’s A400m Program.

Battle for F-22 Looming in Washington Despite Threats From the Obama Administration to Veto Funding for Extra F-22s Over and Above the 187 Already Contracted, the Us Senate Armed Services Committee (Sasc) Had Added Us$1. 75bn (a$2. 18bn) for the 2010 Defence Authorisation Bill for an Additional Seven F-22 Raptors for the Usaf.

Despite Being Closed to the Public, Washington Commentators Claim the Sasc Move Was Led by Georgia State Senator Saxby Chambliss (the F-22 is Assembled at Marietta, Georgia), an Outspoken Supporter of the Aircraft. A Decision Had Previously Been Taken by Us Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Cap Production at 187 Aircraft and This Was Reflected in the Draft Fy2010 Budget Released Earlier This Year. That Decision Has Been Supported More Recently in Language in a White House Statement of Administration Policy Threatening to Veto Any Additional Funding for the Program.

The Sasc’s Move Has Been Supported by the Powerful Chair of the House Appropriations Defence Subcommittee, Senator John Murtha, Who Claimed on June 24 That the Us Must Plan Its Longer Term Strategies and Weapons Buys for Increasing Destabilisation in Pakistan, Iran, China and North Korea. “we Have to Be Prepared for That Kind of Thing,” He Said, Emphasising, “That’s Where ‘tacair’ (Tactical Fighters) Comes in. ” a Senior Usaf Officer Has Also Called for More F-22s to Be Built Saying That Closing the Line Puts the Usaf’s Military Strategy at “high Risk. ” General John Corley, the Chief of the Usaf’s Air Combat Command, Said in a Letter to the Sasc That “a Fleet of 187 F-22s Puts Execution of Our Current National Military Strategy at High Risk in the Near to Mid Term,” Adding That, “to My Knowledge, There Are No Studies That Demonstrate That 187 F-22s Are Adequate to Support Our National Military Strategy. ” the Sasc Also Recommended Reinstating Funding for an Additional Nine F/a-18e/f Super Hornets Which Was Removed in Gates’s Budget, as Well as Us$489. 9m (a$609. 3m) for the Jsf’s F136 Second Engine Program.

The F-22 Funding Debate Comes on Top of Moves by Hawaii State Senator Daniel Inouye to Release the F-22 for Foreign Sales, Specifically to Japan Which Has Been Pushing for an F-22 Buy of Up to 48 Aircraft in Recent Years. Laws Passed in the Late 1990s Currently Prevents the Aircraft Being Released for Foreign Sales, However Studies Conducted by Manufacturer Lockheed Martin at the Time Demonstrated That a Releasable Version of the Aircraft Could Be Produced.

Senator Inouye Has Reportedly Told the Japanese Government That, if They Were Released for Sale, a Buy of Just 40 F-22 Raptors Would Cost as Much as Us$11. 6bn (a$14. 4bn) Including Us$2. 3bn (a$2. 9bn) in Non-recurring Development and Manufacturing Costs of a Foreign Version, and That Production Could Not Start Until 2014, Well After the Current 2011 Usaf Production End Date.

Senator Murtha Has Also Expressed His Support for a Sale of F-22s to Japan, Saying, “if You Want to Prevent (a War), You Have to Have the Equipment in Place So That Somebody Doesn’t Miscalculate,” and That “there Should Be Somebody Else Besides Us” With Forward Deployed F-22s. Murtha Added That the Original Architect of the Law Preventing the Foreign Sale of the Aircraft, Wisconsin Senator David Obey, Was “willing to Listen” to Proposals to End the Ban, and That Any Moves to Close the Line Prematurely May Close Forever the Opportunity to Sell the Aircraft.

Defence Bringing Forward Dcp Horizon? Speculation Emerged Last Week That the Federal Government is Planning to Shorten the Timeframe of the Soon-to-be-released Defence Capability Plan to Only 2014 Instead of the Usual 10 Year Horizon.

According to a Report in ‘the Australian’ Newspaper, Cabinet is Expected to Sign Off on a Truncated Dcp This Week.

The Dcp Was Due to Be Released Publicly in July at the Defence+industry Conference in Adelaide.

Boeing Ids Creates Uas Division Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (Ids) Has Created a New Division Bringing Together Its Unmanned Aerial System (Uas) Businesses, Which It Says Will “lead the Company’s Sustained Pursuit and Execution of Uas Business and the Transition of New Products From Research to Production. ” the Uas Division Will Assume Responsibility for the A160t Hummingbird, Unmanned Little Bird and Solareagle (Vulture) Programs. Insitu Inc, Which Was Taken Over by Boeing Last Year, Will Report to the New Division, Which Will Be Headed by Vic Sweberg, Who Will Report to Boeing Military Aircraft President Chris Chadwick.

“This New Division Establishes a Single Leadership Team Focused on Implementing a Common Strategy for Unmanned Airborne Systems and Services, and Ensures Access to Resources and Capabilities From Across Ids,” Boeing Ids Ceo Jim Albaugh Said.

Viking Launches Guardian Canadian Manufacturer Viking Air Has Launched a Variant of Its Twin Otter 400 Series Aimed at Medium Range Maritime Patrol, Sar and Critical Infrastructure Surveillance Roles Based on the New Twin Otter Series 400 Aircraft.

Called the Guardian, the Aircraft Will Feature a Range of Sensors, Such as an Electro-optical and Infrared Imaging Turret, Spotter Camera, Laser Range Finder and a Laser Illuminator, and a Lightweight, 360 Degree Search Radar. An Internal Fuel Tank Would Also Extend the Aircraft’s Endurance Out to 10 Hours. Internally, the Aircraft Will Feature Four Crew Observation Stations, a Galley and Lavatory, Rescue Equipment Drop Hatch, Air Operable Cargo Door and a Search Light.

Military Briefs

Airbus Military’s Aerial Refuelling Boom System Installed on Its A310 Demonstrator Recently Completed 17 of Night Hook Ups With a Portuguese F-16am to Calibrate Illumination. The Arbs is a Key Feature of the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport, Which Will Enter Raaf Service From 2010 as the Kc-30b.

India’s Defence Minister Told Parliament on July 13 That the Indian Air Force Will Have a Fleet of 230 Sukhoi Su-30s by 2015. India Currently Has 90 Su-30s and Su-30mkis Both Bought Directly From Russia and License Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics.

Boeing Defence Uk Announced on July 7 That a Uk Chinook Mk3 Helicopter Successfully Completed Its First Test Flight on June 6 at the Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down Facility During the Flight Testing and Evaluation Phase of the Mk3 Reversion Program. Eight Chinooks Are to Be Upgraded to the Mk3 Standard, With Delivery to the Royal Air Force From Late 2009.

a Canadian Armed Forced Ch-146 Griffon (Bell 412) Helicopter Crashed on Takeoff in Afghanistan on July 6. Two Canadian Crew Members and a British Soldier Were Killed in the Crash.

a Top Us Navy Officer Has Reportedly Said He Opposes the Continued Development of an Alternate F-35 Jsf Engine Because Usn Carriers Don’t Have the Space or Facilities to Carry Two Different Types of Engines for Carrier-borne F-35cs. Admiral Gary Roughead, the Usn’s Chief of Naval Operations (Cno), Told Us Media on June 30 That Keeping Two Different Engine Types on Board a Carrier is “not Advisable” Because “space is at a Premium”. The Obama Administration is Trying to Kill Off the Rolls-royse/ge F136 Engine Which is Due to Fly in 2011 in Favour of the P&w F135 Which is Already Flying on the Three Prototype F-35s.

Northrop Grumman Has Flown a Second Company Funded Mq-8b Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter in a Bid to Develop the Aircraft’s Land Based Mission. The Company Already Operates a Self-funded Mq-8b for Naval Trials Ahead of the Aircraft’s First Deployment Aboard the Uss ‘mcinerney’ Ffg Frigate Later This Year.

the Italian Air Force’s 4th Air Wing Has Become the First Unit Operating the Eurofighter to Pass Nato’s Operational Assessment Required for Operations.

the 12 Nation Strategic Airlift Capability (Sac) Consortium Will Take Delivery of Its First of Three C-17a Globemaster Iiis on July 27 at Its Base at Papa Air Base in Hungary. The Consortium Consists of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and the Us, and Was Established to Provide Airlift Support for Partner Nations Over the Next 30 Years.

Northrop Grumman Has Rolled Out the First Block 40 Global Hawk at Its Palmdale, California, Facility. The Block 40 Builds Upon the Larger Block 20 Airframe and Adds the New Multi-platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (Mp-rtip) Sensor in a Canoe-shaped Housing on the Aircraft’s Underside. The Mp-rtip, Which Has Had Its Development Delayed Provides Synthetic Aperture Radar (Sar) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (Gmti) Modes.

the Usaf Has Announced It Will Buy Three Bombardier Global Express Business Jets and Equip Then With Powerful Northrop Grumman Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (Bacn) Communications Relay Systems. The Bacn System Will Also Be Fitted to Block 20 Global Hawks, and Provides for Relays Between Stealthy and Non-stealthy Airborne Platforms.

the Troubled Airbus Military A400m Program Has Been Given a One Month Moratorium Until the End of July Before the Partner Nations Decide on Whether to Continue or Cancel the Program. France and Germany Had Reportedly Lobbied for a Longer Delay Until After the First Aircraft Had Flown.

the Us Navy Has Sent a Letter to Congress Asking to Approve Funding for the E-2d Hawkeye Aew&c Aircraft Despite Unit Cost Overruns of More Than 25 Per Cent in Recent Years Which Have Constituted a Breach of the Nun-mccurdy Act. The Letter Says the Aircraft is Vital to Navy Capability and That Low Rate Production Should Commence on Schedule.

the Chairman of the Us House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Has Called for Production of the V-22 Osprey to Be Halted Due to Less Than Favourable Performance and Cost Reports on the Aircraft’s First Deployment to Iraq Last Year. New York Representative Edolphus Towns Called for the Osprey to Be Put “out of Its Misery and to Put the Taxpayers Out of Their Misery” After a Recent Government Accountability Office Report Stated That the Operating Cost of the V-22 Had Tripled From Original Estimates and That the Aircraft Has Operational Limitations in ‘hot and High’ Conditions.

Hawker Beechcraft Announced on June 15 That the Global Fleet of T-6 Texan Ii Trainer Aircraft Has Accumulated More Than One Million Flight Hours, Coinciding With the Delivery of the 500th Aircraft to the Us Government. The T-6 is Operated by the Us Air Force and Navy, Nato Flight Training in Canada, and the Greek Air Force, and is Expected to Be a Contender for the Adf’s Air 5428 Pilot Training Program.

Esterline Cmc Electronics Has Achieved Transport Canada Certification for Its Cockpit 4000 Integrated Avionics System as Installed on the Hawker Beechcraft T-6b Texan Ii.

the Ge Rolls-royce Fighter Engine Team Announced on June 16 That the Second F136 Development Engine is Soon to Begin Testing on Schedule.

Boeing and the Us Air Force Successfully Fired the High Powered Advanced Tactical Laser Inflight From a C-130h Hercules on June 13. The Atl is a Chemical Laser Which is Designed to Destroy, Damage or Disable Targets With Little to No Collateral Damage.

Raytheon Has Demonstrated the Surface-to-air Capabilities of Its Aim -9x Sidewinder Missile Which Successfully Engaged a Uav Target on May 16. The Aim -9x Was Mounted on a Lau-7a/d Launcher on a Us Marine Corps Humvee.

Raytheon Has Delivered Its First Miniature Air Launched Decoy Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Unit to the Us Air Force.

Boeing Successfully Completed Formal Testing of the Mobile Air Platform Component of the Modernised High Frequency Communications System (Mhfcs) for the Adf During May 18-29 at Its Facility in Brisbane. Final System Capability is on Track to Be Delivered This Month, With Adf Service Entry by the End of This Year.

Army Black Hawks Will Be Involved in a Series of Exercises Around Sydney’s Cbd From June 15-23. The Aircraft Will Operate From Holsworthy Barracks.

Boeing and L-3 Have Delivered and Installed the First Four Block Ii F/a-18e/f Super Hornet Tactical Operation Flight Trainers (Tofts) to the Us Navy. The Tofts Are Comprised of an Instructor/operator Station, Which Establishes the Scenarios and Training Missions, and Both Forward and Aft Crew Stations, Each With Its Own Visual System.

the Second Test P-8a Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Named T2, Made Its First Flight From Boeing’s Renton Facility on June 5. T2 is Painted in Full Us Navy Colours.

Airlines Virgin Blue, Delta to Join Forces

V Australia and Delta Air Lines Announced on July 9 That They Plan to Seek Approval to Form a Joint Venture to Enhance Both Carriers’ Business in the South Pacific.

Under the Plan, Which Will Require Approval From Us and Australian Competition Authorities, the Two Airlines Would Collaborate on Route and Product Planning, Codeshare on Their Respective Networks and Extend Frequent Flyer Program Benefits and Lounge Access to Customers of Both Airlines.

“virgin Blue and Delta Make a Tremendously Exciting Fit,” Said Brett Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Virgin Blue Airlines Group. “not Only Will We Offer Travelers Many New Benefits and Possibilities, but Also the Alliance of Two New Entrant Operators Will Ensure That Vital Competition is Sustained on the Trans-pacific Route. ” the Two Carriers Already Have a Mutual Interline Agreement Which Allows V Australia Passengers to Transfer Onto Delta Flights From Los Angeles, and Delta Passengers Can Transfer on Virgin Blue’s Services From Sydney. Delta Started Its First Daily Service From Los Angeles to Sydney on July 3, Less Than Six Months After V Australia’s Inaugural Service on the Route.

Jetstar Fighting Back in Nz Jetstar Has Announced a Number of Measures to Assist Customers of Its Domestic New Zealand Network, Which Has Been Experiencing a Number of Delays the Carrier Attributes to Weather and Teething Problems.

“we Can Assure Our Customers That Improving and Maintaining a High Level of Performance for Our New Domestic New Zealand Operations Remains Our Chief Priority to Ensure All Travelers on Jetstar Receive a Great Value for Money and Hassle Free Travel Experience,” the Company Said in a Statement Issued on July 9.

Jetstar Also Said That It Had Made a Number of Changes to Its Operations, Such as Revising Its Schedule, Deploying More Customer Service Staff at Airports, and Issuing Travel Vouchers to Customer Who Have Been Delayed by More Than 30 Minutes During the First Week of Its Services. The Company Also Announced a New ‘customer Service Guarantee’ Which Will Run Until October 9 and Offers Passengers Delayed by More Than an Hour a $50 Travel Voucher.

Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan Previously Accused Air New Zealand of Sabotaging Its Launch, a Claim Which Air New Zealand Has Rejected.

Strategic A330 Arrives

Strategic Airlines Has Taken Delivery of Its First Airbus A330-200 Aircraft After It Ferried Into Brisbane on July 6.

Michael James, Executive Director of Strategic Said “the Introduction of the Strategic Fleet to the Market Offers Great Opportunities for Worldwide Acmi Lease and Contract Charter Arrangements. We Hope to Work With Other Major Carriers, as Well as Key Corporate, Mining, Tourism and Leisure Entities for Sporting, Entertainment, Incentive and Group Travel Purposes. ” It is Understood That One of the First Assignments for the A330 Will Be to Replace the A330-300 Currently Wet-leased From Portuguese Carrier Hifly to Operate Flights to the Middle-east on Behalf of the Australian Defence Force.

Strategic is Also Planning to Operate a Fleet of Airbus A320s, Including Some Which Will Be Operated in Europe to Plug a Perceived Gap in the Charter Market Following the Collapse of Xl Airways. Strategic Also Recently Took Over Ozjet Airlines From Its Administrators, and Has Announced Plans to Operate Ozjet’s Perth-derby Service Using an A320, and Will Also Operate Three Weekly Services From Brisbane to Honiara on Behalf of Solomon Airways From August.

Standing Room Only? Two Airlines Are Proposing to Change the Seating Arrangements of Their Aircraft to Allow Passengers to Stand, Helping to Reduce Costs.

Chinese Low Cost Carrier Spring Airlines Said in Late June That It Working With the Civil Aviation Authority of China on Possibly Offering Lower Fares for Passengers Who Would Stand in the Aisles. Reports Are That the Company is Confident of Getting Approval From the Chinese Government as It Was Originally Proposed by the Nation’s Deputy President.

Ryanair Chief Michael O’leary Soon Followed After, Saying That His Carrier Was Also Examining Options to Remove Up to 12 Seats to Create a Standing Room Area on Board Its 737-800s. The Airline Has Shown Concepts for ‘vertical Seating’ Which Would Be Offered Either Free or at a 50 Per Cent Discount to a Regular Seat. The Carrier Also Launched an Online Poll on Its Website on July 9.

Any Changes to the Current Seating Arrangements Could Be Challenging, as Changes to the Number of Passengers on Board an Aircraft Would Require Changes to Aircraft’s Maximum Seating Capacities.

Delta, Tiger Hit Sydney Delta Air Lines and Tiger Airways Both Saw Their First Arrivals at Sydney Airport on July 3.

Tiger Airways Used the Occasion of Its First Flight From Melbourne to Launch a Fare Sale From $39 One-way on the Route, With Up to Four Daily Services. It Also Used the Occasion to Launch a Sponsorship Deal With Nrl Team West Sydney Tigers Which Will Initially Be for the Remainder of the 2009 Season. Tiger Will Also Launch Its Three Daily Services From Adelaide to Sydney on July 31.

On the Same Day, Delta’s Inaugural Daily Boeing 777-200lr Service From Los Angeles and Atlanta Arrived, Making It the Fourth Carrier to Offer Direct Service Between Sydney and the Continental Us. “australia is a Very Important Market for Delta as We Expand Our Global Network,” Said Steven Crowdey, Delta’s General Manager, Australia. “delta Offers a Best-in-class Service and Product to Our Australian Customers, Who Now Have Even More Choices to One of Their Most Popular Business and Travel Destinations, the Us. ”

V Australia Looking at Hong Kong? Virgin Blue’s International Offshoot, V Australia, is Understood to Have Sought Landing Slots at Hong Kong International Airport, Although the Carrier Has Yet to Make an Application With the International Air Services Commission (Iasc) for an Allocation of Capacity to Hong Kong.

A List on the Hong Kong Schedule Coordination Office’s Website Shows That V Australia Has Requested Slots to Operate a Daily Service From Brisbane, With the Slot Allocation Starting From October 25. Usually, Airlines Cannot Hold the Slots Without Operating a Service, but the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department Recently Announced That It Was Suspending the ‘use It or Lose It’ Rules, Possibly Indicating That V Australia Could Simply Hold the Slots for Some Time Until It Decides to Start Flights on the Route.

V Australia Currently Only Holds Authority to Operate Services From Australia to the United States, and Also Received an Allocation Last Year to Operate Up to Five Weekly Services to South Africa. V Australia Has Also Been Linked to a Possible Service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Any Such Services Would Likely Require V Australia to Cut Capacity on Its Trans-pacific Routes, With the Suspension of Direct Services From Melbourne to Los Angeles, Due to Start in October, One Possibility.

Qantas Yields Hurting the Qantas Group Has Revealed That Both Its Domestic and International Yields for the Financial Year to the End of May Have Been Lower, While Passenger Numbers Have Continued to Fall.

According to Recently Released Data, for the Month of May the Qantas Group Recorded an Overall Fall in Passenger Numbers of 2. 8 Per Cent, as Most Operating Divisions, With the Exception of Jetstar’s International Services, Recorded Falls. During the Month, a Capacity Cut of 8. 3 Per Cent Helped to Offset the Lower Passenger Numbers and Resulted in Load Factor Improving by 3. 6 Points to 77. 9 Per Cent.

The Airline Also Disclosed That Between July 2008 and May 2009 That It’s Domestic Yields Had Reduced by 4. 7 Per Cent Compared to the Same Time Last Year, While International Yield Was Also Lower by 2. 6 Per Cent. Despite Not Showing a Month-by-month Breakdown, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation Claims That by Its Calculations Qantas Group Yield During May Could Have Fallen by as Much as 25 Per Cent as the Carrier Slashes Its Fares to Stimulate Traffic During the Current Downturn.

Virgin Adds Port Hedland

Virgin Blue Has Announced That It Will Expand Its Wa Intrastate Flying From August With the Airline Launching Daily Services Between Perth and Port Hedland.

The Airline Says It is Launching the Services Following Campaigning From the Local Council. “our Commercial Team Has Been in Discussions With Port Hedland Council for Some Months and Their Efforts to Entice Virgin Blue Have Been Very Much Appreciated,” Said Virgin Blue Ceo Brett Godfrey. “the End Result of Their Enthusiasm Has Been Our Decision to Commence Services. ” the Services Will Begin From August 4, and Will Be Operated by Embraer E-190s. Fares Start From $99 One Way, and Virgin Blue Says It Will Offer Connections at Perth on to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Separately, Virgin Blue Reported That Its Overall Revenue Load Factor Was Lower by 0. 1 Points at 72. 4 Per Cent During May, Driven Down Primarily by Lower Loads on Its International Services. Its Domestic Services Saw Loads Increase to 77. 7 Per Cent as a Result of a 3. 8 Per Cent Cut in Capacity.

Ozjet Finds a Strategic Buyer

Strategic Airlines Has Confirmed It Has Acquired Struggling Charter Operator Ozjet From Administration After Gaining the Support of Ozjet Staff and Creditors Last Week.

The Ozjet Purchase, Announced on June 29, Includes an Agreement to Ensure Payment of Outstanding Staff Entitlements as Well as Retaining Some Staff for the New Operation. Strategic Executive Director Michael James Says the Airline Plans to Resume Flying Ozjet’s Perth to Derby Services From September Using One of Strategic’s Two A320s the Airline Has Just Acquired. The Service, Which is a Protected Rpt Route, Has Been Served by Fokker 100s Operated by Alliance Airlines Since Ozjet Suspended Its Boeing 737-200 Operations on May 20.

No Information Has Been Provided as to the Disposition of Ozjet’s Assets Including Its Aircraft Which Were Recently Noted for Sale, Nor How Strategic Will Incorporate Ozjet’s Aoc Into Its Organisation.

This is Not the First Time Strategic Airlines Has Looked to Acquire a Local Airline – an Agreement to Purchase a 50 Per Cent Stake in Canberra Based Regional Brindabella Airlines Recently Fell Through.

Wa Services Protected for One More Year

the West Australian State Government Has Announced That It Will Retain Route Protection on Intrastate Rpt Services Currently Operated by Skywest and Skippers Aviation Under Until at Least July 2010.

“the Airline Industry is in a Delicate Stage and It Needs Certainty Where There is Uncertainty at the Moment,” Wa Transport Minister Simon O’brien Told ‘the West Australian’ Newspaper. “the State Needs Stability and by Granting Licences for These Mostly Marginal Routes, I Can Demand a Certain Level of Service for Passengers and Communities. ” It is Understood That the State Department of Planning and Infrastructure Had Recommended in Its Intrastate Air Services Review That the Minister Open Intrastate Routes to Competition, but Consultations With Some Communities Raised Concerns That Open Competition Would Lead to Reduced Service Levels on Some Routes, Leading O’brien to Extend the Protection for Another 12 Months. It is Expected That a New Long Term Arrangement Will Be Developed During This Time, and Implemented From July 2010.

Intrastate Route Licenses Were Introduced in 2006 to Ensure That Smaller Communities Around the State Continue to Receive Air Services Following the Collapse of Ansett in Late 2001. Under the Current System, Skywest Operates Exclusively on the Coastal Route Network Licence, While Skippers Aviation Has Operated the Goldfields Route Licence for Three Years. Additionally, Ozjet Operated the Protected Perth-derby Route Until It Entered Administration in May. Alliance Airlines Has Operated the Route Since Then, With Ozjet Buyer Strategic Airlines Announcing on June 29 That It Plans to Take on the Service.

Our Airline to Fly Bne-hir

Nauruan Carrier Our Airline Will Sell Tickets for Its Brisbane to Honiara Services in Its Own Right for Flights From August 2.

Our Airline Currently Operates Brisbane-honiara for Solomon Airlines, With Its Sole 737-300 Continuing on From Honiara to Nauru. But Solomon Airlines is Replacing This Agreement With Plans to Wetlease Strategic Airlines A320 Capacity for Its Brisbane-honiara Services.

Our Airline Will Initially Operate One Brisbane-honiara Flight Per Week From August 2, With an Additional Weekly Service Being Added From September 17, With All Services Continuing on to Nauru. Introductory Fares Start at $229 One Way.

“we Are Very Pleased to Be Back in Solomon Islands, We See Opportunities for All Airlines Competing in This Market. We Have the Schedules and Fares to Suit All Market Segments and Distribution Strategy to Further Grow This Market,” Said Our Airline Ceo Karam Chand in a June 16 Statement.

Our Airline Will Compete With Not Only Solomon Airlines/strategic Airlines but Also Pacific Blue’s Twice Weekly Services.

Jetstar Reshuffles Perth Services

Jetstar Will Increase Its Services From Perth to Bali to a Daily Service From August 15, While It Will Transfer Its Perth-jakarta-singapore Services to Jetstar Asia.

“bali Consistently Draws Strong Patronage From Perth and by Working With the Resources of the Wider Jetstar Group We Have Been Able to Adapt Our Capacity to Better Meet Market Demand,” Said Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan. “providing More Affordable, Frequent and Hassle Free Low Fare Travel Between Australia and South East Asia Through Our Perth Flying Hub Makes Real Sense in This Ever Changing Travel Market. ” Jetstar Says That It is Also Planning to Reduce Frequency on the Perth-jakarta-singapore Route From Three to Two Times Weekly From July, Which Will Be Operated by Jetstar Asia. Jetstar Will Continue to Operate Its Daily Direct Flights to Singapore.

Traffic to Bali Has Been Particularly Strong for Jetstar, Which Launched Its Four Times Weekly Services From Perth to Denpasar on October 27 Last Year. This Was Followed by the Entrance of Pacific Blue With Four Times Weekly Services in December (Raised to Daily in March), and Most Recently Indonesia Airasia Which Will Commence Daily Services From July 17.

Virgin Blue to Interline With Ek

Virgin Blue and Emirates Have Announced a New Interline Agreement Between the Two Carriers.

“this Agreement Opens Up a Viable International Travel Alternative for Those Australians Residing in Regional Towns or Cities Where Flight Services Are More Limited, and We Are Confident the Virgin Blue/emirates Offering Will Prove Hugely Popular Amongst Business and Leisure Travellers Alike,” Said Emirates Vp Australia Stephen Pearse.

The Interlines Will Provide for Feeder Traffic on Emirates’s Services From Perth, Brisbane and Sydney, With Through Fares to Be Offered From 13 Ports, Including Canberra, Adelaide, Albury and Cairns. Members of Virgin’s Velocity and Emirates Skywards Loyalty Schemes Will Be Able to Earn and Redeem Points on Both Virgin Blue and Emirates Flights on a One-for-one Point Basis.

Virgin Blue Has Also Recently Signed Interline Agreements With South African Airways, Delta Air Lines and Air Calin.

Oil Price Rise Sparks Fears With the Price of Crude Oil Holding Ground Above Us$70 (a$88) Per Barrel, Fears Are Emerging That Fuel Prices Could Land Another Blow on the Already Beleaguered Airline Industry.

Following the Fall in Oil Prices Earlier This Year to Below Us$50 (a$63) Per Barrel, Many Airlines Chose to Unroll Their Hedging Positions in Order to Take Advantage of the Lower Price of Jet Fuel. However, Signs of an Economic Recovery, and Some Suggestion That Speculators Are Coming Back Into the Market, Have Seen Oil Prices Rocket in Recent Weeks to Above Us$70.

That Has Not Been Unnoticed by the Industry, With Iata Ceo Giovanni Bisignani Saying on June 8, “the Risk That We Have Seen in Recent Weeks is That Even the Slightest Glimmer of Economic Hope Sends Oil Prices Higher. Greedy Speculation Must Not Hold the Global Economy Hostage. Failure to Act by Governments Would Be Irresponsible. ” However, the Rise in Oil Prices Could Be a Boon for Boeing and Airbus, With More Airlines Expected to Take the Opportunity to Renew Their Fleets With More Fuel Efficient Aircraft, Especially as New Aircraft Sales Have Been Sluggish This Year.

Ba Asks Workers to Forfeit Pay British Airways Ceo Willie Walsh Has Asked His Staff to Work for One Month Without Pay or Take Unpaid Leave as the Company Struggles Through Poor Trading Conditions and Mounting Debts.

Walsh, Who Along With Cfo Keith Williams Has Decided to Forfeit His Pay for the Month of July, Made the Appeal in a Staff Magazine. “Many of You From Across the Airline Are Stepping Up to Help the Company,” Walsh Said. “I Am Looking for Every Single Part of the Company to Take Part in Some Way in This Cash-effective Way of Helping the Company’s Survival Plan. It Really Counts. ” Ba Says That 1000 Staff Have Already Responded to Its Business Response Scheme, Offering One Month’s Unpaid Leave or Switching to Part Time Contracts. The New Option to Work Unpaid Would Not Be Made Compulsory, but the Company Was Encouraging Staff to “play Their Part”.

One of the Major Issues for Ba is a Massive Pension Deficit of £6bn (a$12. 3bn), Causing Ryanair Ceo Michael O’leary to Recently Label It as a “pension Deficit With Wings”.

Qantas Details 2009 A380 Deliveries

Qantas Has Confirmed Its Fourth Airbus A380, to Be Registered Vh-oqd and Named ‘fergus Mcmaster’, Will Now Be Delivered in Late July.

“our Fourth A380 Arrives at the End of July, Allowing Us to Increase Sydney-singapore-london A380 Services From Three to Five Per Week, and Sydney-los Angeles Services From Three to Four Per Week,” Group Executive Qantas Airlines Commercial Rob Gurney Said on June 15.

Vh-oqd’s Delivery, Understood to Be Delayed Due to Production Issues at Airbus, Will Allow Qantas to Increase A380 Services to London and Los Angeles From August 6. Qantas Then Expects to Take Delivery of Two Further Before the End of the Year.

“the Arrival of Our Fifth and Sixth Aircraft Later in the Year Will Mean Further Increases in Services to These Key Destinations,” Gurney Said. “by November Qantas Will Operate Daily A380 Services to London and Los Angeles From Sydney and Will Increase Melbourne-los Angeles Services From Two to Three A380 Flights Per Week.

“by the End of 2009 Qantas Will Operate 34 Services Per Week Between Australia and the Uk and Us With Its A380 Fleet. ” Qantas Says Its Current Fleet of Three A380s Have Carried Over 200,000 Passengers Since A380 Services Began Last October 2008.

New Pacific Carrier in the Wings?

Start-up Carrier Pacific Wings Intends to Begin Services Across the Tasman and to New Caledonia in November, Utilising Wet-leased Boeing 737-300 Capacity.

The Melbourne Headquartered Start-up Lodged an Application With the International Air Services Commission on June 2, Seeking an Unlimited Allocation of Capacity to New Zealand, and an Allocation of 0. 25 Units on the France Route to Operate Services to New Caledonia. The Services Will Be Operated Our Airline Boeing 737-300 Aircraft With Four Business and 124 Economy Class Seats.

“pacific Wings is a Well Capitalised Company and With a Solid Business Plan to Be Successful,” the Company Said in Its Submission. “furthermore It Has Negotiated Valuable Start-up Support With Various Partners. In Addition to This, the Wet-lease Arrangement With Our Airline Does Not Require Upfront Payment of Deposits (as Per Other Aircraft Leasing Arrangements), Thereby Reducing the Start-up Capital Outlay Considerably. ” Former Our Airline Ceo Geoffrey Bowmaker and Accountant Manish Sundarjee Are Named as Nonexecutive Directors of the Company. Bowmaker Told ‘air Transport Intelligence’ That the Carrier Was Hoping to Launch Its Services in October, Which Would Include a Service From Brisbane to Noumea, as Well as From Australian Cities to Secondary Cities in New Zealand.

Jetstar Kicks Off Dom Nz

Jetstar Commenced Its Domestic New Zealand Services on June 10, Although It Received a Number of Complaints Due to Teething Problems and Delays, Forcing the Carrier to Take a Number of Steps to Improve Its Service.

Initially, Jetstar is Operating Five Daily Services Between Auckland and Christchurch, Twice Daily From Auckland to Wellington, and Daily From Auckland and Christchurch to Queenstown Using Three A320s. It Later Adjusted Its Schedule on June 24n and Added a Daily Christchurch-wellington Service. Jetstar Will Eventually Have Six Aircraft Based in New Zealand, Three Each at Bases in Auckland and Christchurch Which Will Operate Both Domestic and Trans-tasman Services.

“we Believe We Can Have a Real Impact in the New Zealand Domestic Market Given Our Already Well Established Brand and Operational Presence on the Highly Competitive Trans Tasman Route,” Said Ceo Bruce Buchanan.

Jetstar is Offering a Similar Product to Its Domestic Australian Services, With Passengers Able to Use Web Check-in or Self-service Check-in Kiosks at All Domestic Ports, While Qantas Codeshares on All Its Services.

Qantas’s Jetconnect Subsidiary, Which Previously Operated That Carrier’s Domestic New Zealand Services, Will Now Solely Operate Across the Tasman, and is Expected to Take Delivery of Its First Boeing 737-800 in September. The New Aircraft Will Replace Jetconnect’s Fleet of 737 Classics, Which Are Expected to Be Sold.

Pac Blue Ups Tasman

Pacific Blue Has Upped Its Competition on the Tasman, Announcing New Services From Sydney to Queenstown and Wellington and Brisbane to Dunedin.

The New Services Were Launched on June 10,, Only One Week After Pacific Blue Launched Services From Brisbane and Sydney to Hamilton, and Coincided With the Launch of Rival Airline Jetstar’s Domestic New Zealand Services.

The Sydney-queenstown and Brisbane-dunedin Routes Will Start From September 1, With Twice and Three Times Weekly Services Respectively, While the Three Times Weekly Sydney-wellington Service Starts September 14. As a Result of the New Services, Pacific Blue Says That It Will Cut Capacity Elsewhere on Its Trans-tasman, Pacific and Domestic Networks by Approximately One Per Cent, and Will Retime Its Nz Domestic Flights to Offer a More “business Friendly” Schedule.

New Qantas Codeshares With Aa, Iberia

Qantas Announced on June 15 That It is Expanding Its European and North American Networks via Codeshares With Oneworld Alliance Partners Iberia and American Airlines.

From June 17, Qantas Will Codeshare on American Flights to Atlanta, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Tampa, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Memphis, Connecting With Existing Qantas Codeshare Flights From Los Angeles and San Francisco via American’s Dallas and Chicago Hubs. The Eight New Destinations Will Take Qantas’s North American Network to 42 Cities.

Then From July 15, Qantas Will Codeshare on Iberia Services to Madrid via Frankfurt and London, While the Spanish Carrier Will Place Its Code on Qantas Services From Frankfurt and London to Sydney. This Marks the First Time Qantas Has Codeshared With Iberia.

“the New Relationship With Iberia Will Complement Our Existing British Airways Codeshare Services to Madrid From London, but Also Offer Customers an Alternative Routing via Frankfurt,” Said Qantas Group Executive Qantas Airlines Commercial, Rob Gurney.

No Ff Float This Year-joyce Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Has Said That the Airline Will Not Float Its Frequent Flyer Arm This Year, but is Still Undertaking a Number of Adjustments to Its Plans in Order to Protect Its Cash Position.

“It’s Not on the Agenda for This Year,” Joyce Told ‘reuters’ at the Iata Agm in Kuala Lumpur on June 8. “it’s Indefinitely Off. The Market Has Not Recovered to the Level Where an Ipo Will Create Value. ” Qantas Had Previously Planned to Raise Approximately $1 Billion in Cash Through a Partial Float of Frequent Flyer, but Delayed Its Plans to Do So Last Year Due to Poor Market Conditions. Frequent Flyer Continues to Operate as a Separate Business Within the Qantas Group Under Egm Simon Hickey.

Joyce Also Told Reporters That Qantas is Working to Maintain Its Cash Balance During the Current Tough Times, Which is Currently at $3 Billion. As Part of This, the Carrier Has Delayed Delivery on Four Airbus A380s and 12 Boeing 737-800s, Which Joyce Says Will Save the Carrier $1 Billion This Year. He Also Mentioned That the Airline Was Still Involved in Discussions With Boeing Over Delaying Delivery of Some of Its First 787s, Which Are Currently Expected to Arrive in the Second Quarter of 2010.

Marginal Traffic Growth in 2008 Icao (the International Civil Aviation Organisation) Says That Total Passenger Traffic Grew by Only 1. 3 Per Cent During 2008, the Slowest Rate of Growth Since 2002.

International Passenger Traffic, in Terms of Revenue Passenger Kilometres, Grew by 3. 4 Per Cent, as a Result of Strong Growth Rates for Air Carriers of Latin America and the Caribbean (10. 3 Per Cent), the Middle East (7. 5 Per Cent), Europe (4. 1 Per Cent) and North America (3. 8 Per Cent). However, Growth in Those Regions Was Offset by No Growth in the Asia Pacific Region, Which Accounts for 27 Per Cent of International Traffic.

Domestic Traffic Was Down, Mostly Due to Major Falls in North America (-5. 1 Per Cent), While Asia Pacific Domestic Traffic Grew by Only 3. 7 Per Cent, Most of Which Came From a Six Per Cent Growth From Chinese Carriers.

Icao Says It Expects Global Air Traffic This Year to Fall by Approximately Four Per Cent as the Weak Global Economy Takes Its Toll on the Industry. However, It Has Also Forecasted a Recovery to Kick in During 2010 When It Expects Traffic to Grow by 3. 3 Per Cent, Followed by 5. 5 Per Cent in 2011.

Airline Briefs

V Australia and Virgin Atlantic Will Offer Reciprocal Frequent Flyer Points on Each Other’s Services. The Two Airlines Are Also Working on a Reciprocal Redemption Arrangement, Which is Expected in the Future.

Airasia is Planning Toissue a New Share Option for Up to 20 Per Cent of the Company’s Equity. Ceo Tony Fernandes Has Said That the Shares Could Go to One Single Investor, Although No Possible Buyers Have Been Identified.

Airasia Has Announced That It Will Start a Second Daily Service Between Denpasar and Perth From August 19. The Carrier Will Commence Its Daily Service From July 17.

Malaysia Airlines Will Launch Direct Flights From Melbourne to Jakarta Three Times Per Week From September 16, With the Flights Continuing on to Kuala Lumpur. The Flights Will Be Operated by a Boeing 777-200.

British Airways is to Defer Delivery of Its First Airbus A380s Until 2012 as Part of a Cut in Capital Spending to Deal With the Economic Downturn. The Carrier is Now Planning to Spend Only £580m (a$) on Capital Projects This Year.

Lan Airlines is Restored Its Sydney-auckland-santiago Services to a Daily Frequency From July 10 After It Cut Back Frequencies to Upgrade the Cabin of Its Airbus A340-300s Which Operate on the Route.

Air New Zealand Announced on June 26 That It Will Trial a Weekly Brisbane-queenstown Service Between December 20 and January 31 in Response to Strong Demand. The Airline Also Announced That It Will Extend Its Once Weekly Melbourne-queenstown Schedule Which Begins in December From January to March 27 Instead.

Regional Express Incorporated Its Fuel Surcharge Into All Fares on Sale From July 1 Onwards. The Company Said It Made the Decision as a Result of the Continued Higher Price of Fuel.

Virgin Atlantic Says It Will Cut Capacity by Seven Per Cent Over the Northern Winter Schedule, and Will Suspend Services Between London and Chicago/o’hare and One Daily London-hong Kong Service. It is Feared That the Capacity Cuts Could Lead the Carrier to Reduce Its Staff by Up to 600.

Pacific Blue Has Requested an Allocation of an Additional 180 Seats From the International Air Services Commission to Operate a Third Weekly Service Between Brisbane and Honiara. Solomon Airlines and Our Airline Also Fly Between Brisbane and Honiara, With Strategic Airlines Scheduled to Assume the Charter on Behalf of Solomon Airlines From September.

China Southern Airlines Has Announced That It is Adjusting Its Sydney and Melbourne to Guangzhou Schedule Between August and October as a Result of the Downturn in Travel Demand. The Airline Will Operate Five Weekly Nonstop Flights From Sydney to Guangzhou, and Increase to Three Weekly One-stop Services From Melbourne – via Sydney – to Guangzhou.

Air New Zealand Said on July 3 That Its 12 A320s Are Now Equipped for Rnp (Required Navigation Performance) Approaches, Joining Six of Its 737-300s and Making It the First Airline in the World to Have an Entire A320 Fleet Rnp Enabled. Air New Zealand Already Flies Rnp Approaches Into Queenstown With Its Domestic 737s, While Equipping the A320 Fleet Will Allow Trans Tasman Services Operating Into the Ski Resort Town to Take Advantage of Precision Approaches in Poor Weather. Air Nz Says It is Talking to Casa About Gaining Approvals for Rnp Operations Into Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Emirates Has Announced That Paris-charles De Gaulle Will Be the Next Destination to Receive the A380, From February 1 2010. The Airline Will Operate a Daily A380 Flight From Dubai, Supplemented by a Daily Boeing 777 Service.

Jetstar Launched Its Services Between Wellington and Christchurch as Well as Additional Services From Auckland to Wellington and Christchurch on June 24, Following the Introduction of a Third Airbus A320 to the New Zealand Operation. Jetstar Says It Plans to Operate a Fleet of Six A320s From Bases in Auckland and Christchurch Which Will Be Used to Fly Domestic and Trans-tasman Services.

United Airlines Extended a Price Promotion on Its Flights to San Francisco Which Offers Passengers the Opportunity to Fly in First Class for $14,956 – Less Than the Cost of a Full Business Class Fare. The Fare is Available for Bookings Made by June 29 for Travel From July 6 to October 31.

Airasia Cut Administration Fees on All Its Fares From June 24, Making It One of the First Carriers to Cut Its Fares Back to Only the Airfare and Airport Charges and Taxes.

British Airways Says That 800 Staff Have Agreed to Work for Free for Up to One Month as Part of the Airline’s Efforts to Stem Its Losses. Another 4000 Workers Are Taking Unpaid Leave, While 1400 People Have Volunteered to Work Part-time.

Flight Centre and Singapore Airlines Have Severed Ties After the Two Parties Failed to Reach Agreement on Commissions. According to the ‘sydney Morning Herald’, Flight Centre Had Been Pushing Sia to Pay Commissions of 13 Per Cent on Ticket Sales. As a Result of the Failure to Agree on Commissions, Flight Centre Ceo Graham Turner Says That Its Staff Will Not Offer Sia Fares to Customers, but Would Do So if Asked.

Virgin Blue Will Offer Through Fares Linking Its Flights From Sydney and Brisbane to Hamilton Island With Launch Services to Hayman Island From July 1.

Qantas Announced on June 18 That It Has Extended Its Online Check-in to Its International Flights, While Platinum, Gold and Silver Frequent Flyer Members Will Be Able to Request Their Seats on All International Services Operated by the Airline.

Qantas Recorded the Highest Rate of on-time Departures at 89. 5 Per Cent During May, Followed by Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Tiger Airways. Qantaslink Was the Best of the Regional Airlines With 91. 1 Per Cent of Flights Leaving on Time, Followed by Skywest and Regional Express.

* Malaysia Airlines Has Recorded an Operating Loss of Rm138m (a$48. 8m) for the First Quarter of 2009, Its First Quarterly Loss Since the Third Quarter of 2009. The Carrier Also Recorded a 12. 4 Per Cent Fall in Passenger Numbers Over the Three Months.

Regional Pacific Airlines Will Boost Its Services on the Cairns-mt Isa Route From Three to Five Per Week From August. Rpa’s Services Commence on July 1, and Will Be Operated by 30 Seat Embraer Emb-120s.

Singapore Airlines Recorded a 23 Per Cent Fall in Passenger Numbers During May, Resulting in a 7. 8 Point Fall in Load Factor to 66. 9 Per Cent. Capacity During the Month Was Lower by 13. 9 Per Cent as the Carrier Cut Services to Los Angeles via Taipei, Osaka via Bangkok, Amritsar and Vancouver via Incheon.

United Airlines is Offering Sale Fares From Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles From $937 and New York From $1124 Including Taxes. The Fares Are Available on Selected Departures Between July 2 and November 30 for Tickets Issued Before June 30.

Air Canada Has Requested a C$200m (a$222m) Loan From the Canadian Government, and Has Been Seeking Concessions From Unions to Stave Off Possible Bankruptcy. The Airline Says It Requires C$600m (a$666m) in Short Term Finance to Avoid Bankruptcy.

China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines Are Set to Merge, Following the Suspension of Trade of the Two Carrier’s Shares on June 8. It is Understood the Merger Has Already Received Approval From the Chinese Government, With the Combined Airline to Hold an Expected 50 Per Cent Marketshare From Shanghai.

India’s Kingfisher Airlines and Singapore Airlines Have Denied Reports the Singaporean Airline Was in Talks to Acquire a 25-26 Per Cent Stake in Kingfisher. “the Report is Incorrect. Singapore Airlines is Not in Talks on an Equity Investment in Kingfisher Airlines,” the ‘wall Street Journal’ Quoted a Singapore Airlines Spokesman as Saying.

Singapore Airlines Will Operate the A380 on One of Its Five Daily Services Between Singapore and Hong Kong From July 9. The A380 Will Replace a Boeing 777-300er, Representing a 10 Per Cent Increase in Capacity.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair Saw a 7. 5 Per Cent Fall in Passenger Numbers During May. A 4. 7 Per Cent Fall in Capacity Resulted in Load Factor Falling by 1. 6 Percentage Points to 75. 8 Per Cent.

Singapore Airlines Has Launched a New Round of Discount Fares Across All Classes on a Number of Long Haul Services From Australia. Fares Start From $1388 Return to Paris, and Are on Sale Until June 26 for Departures Between July 1 2009 and January 15 2010.

Environment

Sita Develops Emissions Software Sita Has Developed and Tested a New Software Package Called Aircraft Emissions Manager, Which It Says Will Allow Airlines to Monitor, Report and Verify Aircraft Emissions in Accordance With Various Emissions Trading Schemes.

One Test Has Been Completed Satisfactorily, and Three More Are Getting Underway, With Four Airlines From the Middle East and One Each From Europe and the United States Involved in the Trials. The Airlines Are Hoping to Use the Software as Part of Their Plans for Monitoring and Reporting Carbon Dioxide Emissions to the European Union in Order to Meet an August 31 Deadline as Part of the Union’s Plans to Include Aviation in Its Ets.

“the Most Pressing Issue Now is to Support Those Airlines Operating to, From and Within Eu Member States Which Must Submit Plans for Monitoring and Reporting Carbon Dioxide Emissions by August 31 in Advance of a 2010 Pre-compliance Phase for the Eu’s Ets Which Will Include Aviation From 2012,” Said Sita Ceo Francesco Violante.

The Arab Air Carriers Organization Has Become the First Organisation to Recommend the Aircraft Emissions Modeller to Its Members, and It is Expected That a Number of Airlines From Around the World Will Use the Package to Meet Their Ets Reporting Requirements.

Biofuel Performs as Well as Jet A1 – Boeing Boeing Commercial Airplane’s Head of Environmental Strategy Bill Glover Said at the Paris Airshow That Recent Testing of Biofuels in Commercial Airliners Has Confirmed That They Perform as Well as Standard Jet A1 Fuel, Raising the Prospect That They Will Play a Large Part in Cutting Down the Industry’s Carbon Emissions.

Based on Data Gathered From Biofuel Test Flights and Lab Testing Between 2006-2009, Bio-derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-spk) Was Found to Perform as Well or Better Than Regular Jet Fuel, With No Adverse Affects on Engines or Their Components. Bio-spk Was Also Shown to Meet All Standards for Regular Jet Fuel, Including Those for Freezing Point, Flash Point, Fuel Density and Viscosity, Among Others. They Also Found That Bio-spk Has a Higher Energy Content by Mass Than Typical Jet Fuel.

“These Are Very Gratifying Results,” Said Bill Glover, Managing Director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Everyone on the Team – and Across the Industry – is Working Hard to Make Sustainable Biofuels a Real Solution for Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Aviation, and These Results Move Us Closer to That Goal. ” Boeing Says That It is Working With Biofuels Refiner Uop and the Us Air Force to Produce a Comprehensive Research Report for Submission to the Astm International Aviation Fuel Committee Later This Year. The Report Will Support Efforts to Gain Approval to Use Bio-spk Fuel at Up to a 50 Per Cent Blend in Support of Industry Goals to Accelerate Availability and Use.

Airports

Airport Traffic Falls Continue the Airports Council International Has Released Its Traffic Figures for May, Showing Another Month of Declines for Passenger Traffic, Although the Rate of Decline Appears to Be Slowing.

Compared to May 2008, Total Passenger Traffic Was Lower by Eight Per Cent, Driven by a 9. 4 Per Cent Decline in International Traffic. For the Calendar Year to Date, Passenger Traffic Has Declined by 7. 5 Per Cent Compared to the Same Time Last Year. Freight Traffic Continued Its Fall, Down by 16 Per Cent for the Month.

“in May, Freight Results Point to a Small but Hopeful Indication That the Downward Trend is Slowly Reversing Its Steep Drop,” Commented Aci Director General Angela Gittens. “on the Passenger Side, International Results Took a Direct Hit From the H1n1 Virus, Although It is Hard to Calculate the Exact Degree to Which Travel Plans Were Delayed or Cancelled Due to Health Concerns. Despite World Health Organization Guidance That Travel Restrictions Were Not Required, Traveller Caution and Some National Travel Advisories Accentuated the Impact. ” Aci Also Noted That the Threat of H1n1 Was the Likely Reason for Large Falls at Major Hubs in the Asia Pacific Region, Such as Bangkok (-23 Per Cent), Hong Kong (-12 Per Cent) and Singapore (-10 Per Cent). However, Strong Domestic Traffic Through Beijing (+23 Per Cent) Helped to Arrest Declining Domestic Markets Elsewhere.

Darwin Delays Terminal Expansion

Darwin International Airport Has Announced That It Has Put Its Terminal Expansion on Hold After It Was Unable to Reach a Commercial Agreement With the Qantas Group Which Would Underpin the $60 Million Project.

“gaining the Support of Qantas and Jetstar Was Critical Given That They Represent Over 80 Per Cent of Our Business,” Said Ceo of Nt Airports Ian Kew. “we Believe That Qantas and Jetstar Remain Committed to Darwin and the Concept of the Hub but Recognise That Because of the Pressures of the Current Economic Conditions, It Was Difficult for Them to Agree to an Investment Program in the Near Term That Required a Proportionally Greater Increase in Airport Charges. ” the Announcement Could Represent a Major Blow for Jetstar, Which Has Been Building Up Darwin as a Hub for Flights Into Southeast Asia Using Narrowbody Aircraft, and Says It is Now Looking at a Number of Alternatives to Allow is to Continue Growing Its Darwin Operation. “we Will Now Investigate Multiple Options to Enable the Continued Growth of Our Darwin Flying Hub,” Said Ceo Bruce Buchanan. “these May Include Consideration of a Future Second Daily ‘peak’ of Flight Services Into the Hub and Consideration of Alternate Sites and/or Infrastructure at the Existing Airport. ”

Cbr Resubmits Dmp

Canberra Airport Resubmitted Its Draft Master Plan (Dmp) on June 19 After a Previous Version Was Knocked Back by Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Last Year.

Canberra Airport Ceo Stephen Byron Told Australian Aviation That the Dmp Submitted Last Year Was Rejected by the Minister on the Grounds That Some of the Details Were Too General, but There Was No Suggestion That the Airport’s Development Plans Needed Changing. As a Result, the Airport Re-wrote Some Sections of the Dmp, Such as Its Sections on Night Freight Operations and on-airport Property Development, to Include More Specific Information on How the Airport Plans to Grow Over the Next 20 Years, With Public Consultation Closing in May and Submission to the Federal Government Completed in Late June.

Byron Noted That the Consultations Saw a Large Number of Noise Complaints From Areas in Nsw and the Act Which Had Been Developed Within the Last Five Years and Were Not Necessarily Under Current Flightpaths. The Airport Argues That This Should Lead the Government to Protect the Current Noise Abatement Areas Around the Airport and Prevent Further Residential Development in These Areas as It May Inevitably Lead to the Imposition of Noise Sharing Procedures for Aircraft Operating From the Airport, as is Currently Conducted in Sydney. Ultimately, the Airport is Concerned That This Could Scupper Its Plans to Develop the Airport as a Curfew-free Air Freight Hub.

Minister Approves Syd Master Plan

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Has Approved Sydney Airports Corporation Limited’s Latest Draft Master Plan, Despite Raising Concerns That the Company Had Underestimated the Capital Spending Requirements of Required Over the Next 20 Years.

In the Master Plan, the Airport Forecasts That Passenger Numbers Will Grow at an Average Rate of 4. 2 Per Cent Over the Next 20 Years, With 78. 9 Million Passengers Expected to Pass Through the Airport in 2029. Despite This Growth, the Airport Says That It is Not Seeking to Make Any Changes to the Airport’s Operational Constraints or Access for Regional Airlines. “airport Facilities Including Terminals, Hangars, Aprons, Freight Facilities, Car Parking and Airport Roads Will All Be Progressively Upgraded Over the Next 20 Years,” Said Sacl Ceo Russel Balding.

Despite the Approval, the Minister Also Raised Some Concerns About the Dmp in a June 19 Press Release. “my Approval of the Master Plan Does Not However Indicate Acceptance That the Airport Can and Should Handle the Projected Growth in Traffic, With the Annual Number of Aircraft Flying Into and Out of Sydney Expected to Rise to 427,000 by 2029,” He Said. As a Result, the Minister Announced That a Study on a Second Sydney Airport Will Commence Soon, Under the Guidelines to Be Set Forth in the Forthcoming Aviation White Paper.

Qantas Group’s Executive of Government and Corporate Affairs David Epstein Welcomed the Announcement Backing a Second Airport for Sydney. “it is Timely to Start Now on Looking at a Site for a Second Airport in the Sydney Basin to Ensure That Future International and Domestic Aviation Growth Opportunities Can Be Realised,” He Said.

Buchanan Calls for Bases to Open to Commercial Flights

Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan Has Called on the Australian and New Zealand Governments to Open More Defence Facilities to Commercial Flights.

Buchanan Cited Richmond, Near Sydney, Edinburgh Near Adelaide and Whenuapai Near Auckland as Possible Secondary Airports Which Could Handle Low Cost Carriers Such as Jetstar, Which He Says Would Change the Competitive Dynamics in Those Cities. He Also Cited Jetstar’s Example of Its Use of Avalon and Gold Coast Airports as Examples of How Having Secondary Airports Can Help to Reduce Charges at Primary Airports.

Opening Up Richmond to Commercial Flying Has Been Widely Seen as the Easiest Solution for Developing a Second Airport to Serve the Sydney Basin. Whenuapai Has Been the Subject of a Long Campaign by New Zealand Company Infratil to Convert the Rnzaf Base, Which Was to Be Closed by the Former Clark Government, Into a Commercial Airport. However, New New Zealand Defence Minister Wayne Mapp Has Committed to Retaining Whenuapai as an Active Air Force Base, and Said That It Would Not Be Opened to Commercial Traffic.

Airport Briefs

Melbourne Will Host the 2010 Iata Schedules Conference in November 2010, the Victorian Government Announced on July 9 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Event is Expected to Attract Over 1100 Delegates From 300 Airlines and 200 Airports.

Airservices Australia Has Opened Up Land Near Darwin Airport to Allow Army Personnel Commuting by Bicycle to the Robertson Army Base Safely. The Three Kilometre Path Passes Through Land Adjacent to the Airport’s Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Service, and Was Constructed by the Army Which Also Provided the Materials.

Airservices Australia Will Construct a New Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Building at Sunshine Coast Airport, Which Will Replace the Existing Temporary Arff Facilities From Mid 2010. The Facility Will Include Bays to Accommodate Two Fire Tenders, a Storage Facility for the Water Rescue Craft, Purpose-designed Working and Operational Areas for Staff, a Mechanical Workshop and Associated Wash Down and Storage Areas, Fuel and Foam Storage Facilities and Hardstand Areas Allowing the Vehicles to Manoeuvre Safely Around the Building Forecourt Area.

Airservices Australia Last Week Started Providing Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Services at Karratha Airport, With Up to Three Rosenbauer Mk8 Firefighting Vehicles to Be Based at the Airport. Karratha is Currently Australia’s Busiest Regional Airport, With Multiple Services From Skywest, Virgin Blue and Qantas, Primarily Servicing the Petroleum Industry.

Melbourne Airport Recorded an Overall Decline in Passenger Numbers of 0. 9 Per Cent During May, as a 2. 1 Per Cent Decline in Domestic Passenger Traffic Offset a 4. 4 Per Cent Increase in International Traffic.

General Aviation

Casa Has Opened a Project to Provide Comprehensive Guidance to Flight Training Organisations Permitted to Conduct Flight Instructor Training on the Final Standards That a Flight Instructor Must Achieve, Suggest Training Plans, and a Systematic Approach to Flight Instructor Training. The Project Was Approved on June 22, and is Being Led by Phil Astley.

Waco Announces Ymf-5d Waco Classic Aircraft Has Announced a Series of Enhancements to Its Ymf-5c Sport Biplane Under the -5d Variant.

Waco Says That the New Model Produces More Power as a Result of the Addition of a New Jacobs R755-a2 300hp (225kw) Engine, Although the Smaller 275hp (205kw) Engine Will Be Available as an Option at No Extra Cost. The Aircraft Also Features an Updated Oil Filtration System With Chip Detector, New Garmin G600 Glass Avionics Package, Carbon Fibre Wheel Pants and Wheel Paint Fairings, as Well as a Number of Other Minor Enhancements.

Waco Says That the Aircraft Will Be Available for Delivery From October 2009, Pending Faa Certification.

Maf Takes First Kodiak Missionary Aviation Fellowship Has Taken Delivery of Its First New Quest Aircraft Kodiak, and Has Been Touring the Us Before Entering Service in the Indonesian Province of Papua.

The Kodiak is a 10-seat Utility Stol Aircraft Powered by a Single Pratt & Whitney Canada Pt6 Turboprop and Also Features a Garmin G1000 Cockpit. Quest Says It Has Designed the Aircraft to Meet the Needs to Remote Mission Organisations Such as Maf, Which Frequently Fly Aircraft Into Short, Rough Strips.

“this New Kodiak is More Than an Example of Leading Edge Technology,” Said Maf Us President John Boyd. “the Unprecedented Cooperation Between Missionary Organisations That Made This Day Possible is a Model for 21st Century Missionary Efforts. It is Both Exciting and Humbling. ” Maf Will Use the Kodiak to Replace Some of the 20 Cessna 206s It Operates. As the Kodiak’s Pt6 Runs on Jet Fuel Rather Than Avgas, It Expects to Be Able to Run the Aircraft More Cost Effectively and Reliably Than the C206s, While It Will Also Carry Four More Passengers or Twice the Cargo Load.

The Kodiak’s Us Tour Included Two Additional Stops in the Greater Los Angeles Area – at El Monte and Redlands , the Previous Headquarters of Maf Us, Now Based in Nampa Idaho. Maf Says That It is Still Fundraising to Pay the Costs of the Aircraft’s Ferry Flight to Indonesia.

Lycoming Reports Sales of Its Custom Experimental Thunderbolt Engines in the First Four Months of 2009 Exceeded Sales of These Engines for All of 2008. Thunderbolt Sales From January to April 2009 Are 16 Per Cent Higher Than for All of 2008.

Business Aviation

Dassault Cuts Jobs Dassault Announced in June That It Was Planning to Cut 100 Jobs at Its Little Rock, Arkansas, Completion Centre Due to the Downturn in Demand for Its Business Jets.

“dassault Falcon Has Laid Off 111 Workers in Little Rock,” the Company Told ‘flight International’, While “another 42 Workers Have Taken Advantage of an ‘early-out’ Program, Bringing the Centre’s Total Workforce to 2100 Employees, About the Same as It Was in Early 2008. ” as With Other Business Jet Manufacturers, Dassault Has Seen Its Orders for Its Falcon Range of Business Jets Fall Due to the Worldwide Recession. The Company Has Also Been Battling a Generally Negative Sentiment Towards Business Aircraft, Which Has Forced Some of Its Customers to Cancel Their Falcon Orders. Nevertheless, Dassault Says That It Plans to Deliver Between 80-90 Aircraft This Year, Marking an Increase on the 72 Delivered Last Year.

Business Aviation Briefs

Embraer Delivered 19 Business Aircraft During the Second Quarter of 2009. They Were Comprised of 13 Phenom 100s, Five Legacy 600s and One Lineage 1000.

Gulfstream Has Received Faa Certification for the Use of Its Enhanced Vision System Ii on the G150. The System Generates Real-time Images of the Aircraft’s Surroundings Using an Infrared Camera Mounted in the Nose of the Aircraft, Increasing Situational Awareness at Night and During Low Visibility Daylight Conditions by Allowing Pilots to See Terrain, Runways, Taxiways and Approaches That Are Undetectable by Unaided Sight.

Rolls-royce Has Achieved Easa Certification for Its Br725 Engine Which Will Power the Gulfstream G650 Large Business Jet Later This Year. Since First Engine Run in April 2008, the Br725 Has Completed All Major Development Testing as Well as Accumulating Almost 1100 Running Hours and 3500 Engine Cycles.

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation Announced on June 15 That It is Offering Zero-cost Maintenance for Five Years or 1000 Hours on the Premier Ia From Now Until September 30.

Cargo

Qantas Freight Has Been Fined C$155,000 (a$) in Canada Over the Long Running Cargo Surcharge Cartel.

Australian Air Express (Aae) Opened a New Airside Freight Facility at Canberra International Airport on June 15. The New Facility is a Part of the Upgrade of the Airport’s Infrastructure, and is Located at 3 Rogan Place.

Heavylift Cargo Airlines Has Asked the International Air Services Commission to Allocate 16. 5 Tonnes of Capacity to It on the Papua New Guinea Route. The Airline Said in Its Submission to the Iasc That It Previously Ceded the Capacity on the Route to Qantas.

Sia Cargo Recorded a Slight Rise in Cargo Load Factor to 61. 2 Per Cent (+0. 5pts) During May, Largely as a Result of a 21. 4 Per Cent Cut in Capacity. Load Factor Was Higher in Most Markets, With Only Europe, West Asia and Africa Recording Declines.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair Carried a Total of 121,966 Tonnes of Cargo and Mail in May, Down 13. 3 Per Cent on the Previous Year. Cargo Load Factor Rose by 1. 2 Percentage Points to 68. 2 as Capacity Fell by 15. 7 Per Cent, While the Airline Says That Demand for Air Freight Continues to Be Soft.

Finance

Ilfc to Be Sold? Onex Corporation, Which Owns Significant Stakes in Hawker-beechcraft and Spirit Aerosystems, Has Emerged as the Most Likely Player to Buy Lessor Ilfc (International Lease Finance Company) From Its Stricken Parent, the American International Group.

Reports on June 6 Claim That Onex, Which is the Leading Company in a Consortium Also Including Greenbriar Equity Group Llc, Had Been Chosen by Aig as the Preferred Bidder for the World’s Second Largest Aircraft Lessor. Washington Based Carlyle Group and London’s Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd Have Also Been Reported as Possible Bidders for Ilfc, but It is Understood That All Bids Proposed Are Significantly Lower Than the Approximate Us$7. 8bn (a$9. 6bn) Book Valuation of the Company.

While a Sale of the Ilfc Will Give It Some More Stability, It Could Raise Other Issues, Such as Its Ability to Finance Its Backlog of Airbus and Boeing Aircraft on Order. With the Downturn in Passenger Traffic, Many Financiers Have Moved Away From Financing Aviation Assets, Which Could Mean That Ilfc May Have to Seek Backstop Financing for Some of Its Aircraft on Order.

Maintenance, Support & Training

Air New Zealand Drops Qantas for Engineering Air New Zealand is Ending Its Maintenance Agreement With Qantas, With the Kiwi Airline Also Set to Sue Qantas for Disruptions Caused by Its Engineers’ Dispute Last Year.

The Airline Says That It Will Take Up New Line Maintenance Contracts in Sydney With Cathay Pacific and Melbourne With John Holland Aviation Services. No Comment Was Given About Air Nz’s Engineering Arrangements at Its Other Australian Ports.

Air New Zealand’s General Manager for Australia John Harrison Said in a June 19 Report From ‘dow Jones’ That the Company Would Press Qantas to Compensate It for the Additional Costs the Carrier Faced as a Result of the Dispute. He Said That the Dispute Forced the Airline to Bring Out Its Own Engineers From New Zealand for Eight Months to Ensure Its Aircraft Could Be Dispatched. But He Dismissed Suggestions by the ‘sydney Morning Herald’ Newspaper That the Cost-recovery Could Run Into the Millions of Dollars, and Would Keep Its Legal Options Open, Although He Also Stressed That Relations With Qantas Were “amicable”.

Qantas Has Recently Lost a Number of Ground Handling and Line Maintenance Contracts to Other Parties, Leading Some to Suggest That It Has Been Part of a Deliberate Campaign to Force More Redundancies in Its Engineering Operations. Qantas Has Repeatedly Denied This, Saying That It Has Recently Changed Its Pricing to Reflect the True Cost of Providing Third Party Services.

Sr Technics Creates Smaller Checks Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Provider Sr Technics Has Announced a New Initiative Which Breaks Down a and C Checks on Airbus A320 Aircraft Into Equal Maintenance Packages Which Can Cut Down Maintenance Downtime Significantly.

Under a Range of ‘e-checks’, Major Checks Are Packaged Into 36 Labour Packages Which Can Be Conducted Over Eight Hours for Each Package, Which Eliminates the Need for C Checks. At the Time of the 36th E-check, the Aircraft Will Be Due for a 14 Day Il Check, Which is Approximately Every Six Years. Over That Time, the Company Says That Approximately 17 Days of Downtime Can Be Saved.

Sr Technics Started Pioneered the Use of E-checks on Easyjet’s Fleet of Airbus A319s in 2003, but is Now Expanding It to Offer to Other Clients.

Maintenance, Support &training Briefs

Ametek Aerospace & Defense Has Selected Hawker Pacific’s Australian Avionics as an Authorised Service Centre for Its Measurement & Power Systems Products.

Alenia Aeronautica and Malaysia Airlines Engineering and Maintenance Signed an Agreement at the Paris Airshow to Create a Joint Venture Based in Kuala Lumpur to Offer Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Services for Atr Aircraft. Alenia is a 50 Per Cent Partner in the Atr Consortium, Alongside Eads.

Air Safety

Casa Board Members Announced

Infrastructure & Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Has Announced the Members of the Boards for Casa and the Atsb Commission.

Casa Will Gain a Four Member Board, and Will Be Chaired by Dr Allan Hawke, Who Was Secretary of the Department of Transport and Regional Services for Three Years From 1996, and is Presently the Chairman of the Mtaa Superannuation Fund Trustee Board. David Gray, Who Was Managing Director of Boeing Australia From 1995-2006, Has Been Appointed as Deputy Chair, While Helen Gilles and Trevor Danos Are the Other Board Members. Both Gilles and Danos Have Backgrounds in the Legal Profession.

The Atsb Will Have a Three Member Panel of Commissioners, With Martin Dolan Appointed as the Chief Commissioner. Dolan is Currently the Ceo of Comcare, and Has Held a Number of Positions Within the Aviation Section of the Department of Transport and Regional Services Between 2000 and 2005. He Will Be Joined by Part-time Commissioner Noel Hart, Who Has a Background in the Shipping Industry, While a Second Part-time Commissioner Will Be Appointed at a Later Date.

Garuda 737 Ignored Instructions Pilots of a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 Ignored an Air Traffic Controller’s Instructions to Initiate a Go-around Shortly Before It Nearly Landed on an Area of Runway Under Repair at Perth Airport Last Year.

An Atsb Report Into the Incident Found That While the Aircraft’s Crew Was Aware of the Works on Runway 21 and the Displaced Threshold, the Aircraft Was Approximately 15 Seconds From Landing When the Pilots Noticed Vehicles on the Runway and Initiated a Go-around. On the Second Landing Attempt, the Air Traffic Controller Noticed That It Appeared That the Aircraft Was Going to Come Down on the Area of the Runway Under Repair, and Instructed the Pilots to Initiate Another Go-around. Instead, the Pilots Levelled the Aircraft Over the Closed Section and Came Down on the Displaced Threshold. The Pilots Told Atsb Investigators That They Had Not Heard the Instruction to Go-around, and the Report Summarised That They May Have Been Confused by the Call for a Go-around Due to the High Level of Workload They Were Under.

The Atsb Also Found in Its Report That Despite Marking the Section of Runway as Closed, the Airport’s Operator Did Not Obscure the Permanent Touchdown Markers Which Were in the Works Zone, While the Airport Should Have Used 36m Wide Runway Markings to Note the Closed Section as Per the Icao Recommendations, Rather Than the 6m Ones Deployed at the Time. As a Result of the Investigation, the Atsb Has Recommended That Casa Amend Its Manual of Standards for Airfield Operators to Bring It in Line With the Icao Recommendations.

Garuda Issued a Statement on the Report on July 2, Saying “the Report Recognised That While This Was Not a Safety Issue Garuda Had Independently Undertaken a Number of Training Actions for Its Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel Based on the Incident. ”

Airservices Commits to Nationwide Rnp Airservices Australia Has Announced That It Plans to Introduce Required Navigation Procedures (Rnp) at 28 Airports Around Australia, in a Move Which is Says Will Significantly Reduce Aircraft Noise, Fuel Burn and Emissions.

Airservices Signed an Agreement With Naverus on June 24 at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation’s Annual General Meeting Which Will See Naverus Develop Rnp Procedures for Departures and Arrivals at Airports Around Australia Over the Next Five Years.

It is Expected That the Adoption of These Procedures Will Result in Annual Savings of 39 Million Kg of Fuel and 122 Million Tonnes of Co2 Emissions, Based on Flight Trials of Rnp at Brisbane Airport.

Pax Injured in Qantas Turbulence Incident Six Passengers and One Cabin Crewmember Sustained Minor Injuries After a Qantas Airbus A330 Operating a Flight From Hong Kong to Perth Dropped Suddenly Due to Severe Turbulence Overnight on June 21-22.

The A330-300, Which Was Operating Qf68 With 206 Passengers and 13 Crew on Board, Was Approximately Four Hours Into Its Flight and Over the Island of Borneo When It Encountered the Severe Turbulence. That Resulted in Injuries to Seven People, Who Began Receiving Treatment on Board, While Two Overhead Panels and Two Oxygen Masks Were Dislodged. Following Medical Advice, the Flight Continued on to Perth, Where the Aircraft Was Met by a Qantas Support Team and Medical Personnel. After Receiving Some Treatment at Perth Hospitals, the Injured Passengers and Crewmember Were Discharged Later That Day.

“the Aircraft Most Likely Encountered What is Known as Convective Turbulence, Which Led to It Rapidly Gaining Around 800ft in Altitude Before Returning to Its Cruising Altitude of 38,000ft,” Said Qantas Group Executive Government and Corporate Affairs, David Epstein.

Qantas Says It Has Reported the Incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Which Will Investigate, and Has Also Moved Quickly to Dismiss Suggestions That the Incident is Related to Other A330s. “we Remain Confident in the A330 Aircraft and Will Work Closely With the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to Determine What Might Be Learned From This Incident,” Said Epstein.

Jetstar A330 Gets Hot Up Front a Jetstar Airbus A330-200 Operating a Service From Osaka to the Gold Coast on June 11 Was Forced to Divert to Guam After a Small Fire, Starting From a Windshield Heater, Broke Out in the Cockpit.

The A330, Registered Vh-ebf, Was Operating Jq20 With 186 Passengers and 13 Crew on Board and Was Three Hours and 50 Minutes Into the Flight When Smoke Began Emerging From the Right Hand Cockpit Window, Followed by a Small Fire Which Was Extinguished by the Crew. The Fire is Understood to Have Been Caused by Arcing in a Connection to the Window’s Heating System. The Crew Then Diverted to Guam and Landed Without Incident at 0220 Local Time. Passengers and Crew Were Accommodated in Hotels Overnight, and the Airline Dispatched Another A330 Later That Morning to Retrieve the Passengers and Crew.

The Alaea (Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association) Secretary Steve Purvinas Blamed the Incident on Qantas’s Outsourcing of A330 Maintenance to Offshore Providers. However, Qantas Group Executive Qantas Airlines Operations, Lyell Strambi, Hit Back at the Claim, Noting That Maintenance Checks on the Aircraft Had Been Done on It in May in Melbourne, With Its Last Heavy Maintenance Check Conducted by Lufthansa Technik in Manila Late Last Year. “had Mr Purvinas Checked His Facts and Been Able to Think Outside His Narrow Industrial Agenda, as Any Good Engineer Would, He Would Know That the Electrical Connector That Caused the Jetstar Incident Was Not Part of the Work Undertaken in Manila Last Year,” Said Strambi.

The Atsb Has Commenced an Investigation Into the Incident, and Has Notified the Us Ntsb and French Bea of Its Investigation.

Air Safety Briefs

Casa Has Extended the Time for Approval of Safety Management Systems for Certain Rpt High Capacity Aoc Holders From July 1 to 2 November 2 2009.

a Yemenia Yemen Airways Airbus A310 With 150 People on Board Crashed in the Indian Ocean on June 29 While It Was Attempting to Land at the Comoros Islands. One Teenage Girl Survived.

the French Bureau D’enquetes Et D’analyses (Bea) Released Its Interim Report on the Investigation Into the Crash of Air France Flight 447, Which Crashed Into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1. The Report Notes That the Bea Had Not Determined the Cause of the Crash, but Has Determined From Examination of the Wreckage That the Aircraft Did Not Break Up in Mid-air, but Rather Impacted the Surface With a “sharp Vertical Acceleration”.

Security

the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Has Launched a New Website Called Travelsecure to Inform the Public About Security Measures in Place at Australian Airports and Actions They Need to Take to Comply. The Website Can Be Accessed at Http//travelsecure. Infrastructure. Gov. Au

People

Grant Fenn Has Been Appointed as Cfo of Downer Edi, Effective October 2. Fenn is Currently Egm Strategy and Investments at Qantas, and Was Previously the Egm of Qantas Freight.

Former Ansett-air New Zealand Group Ceo Gary Toomey Has Been Appointed Ceo of Airlines Png.

Stefan Pichler Was Appointed as Ceo of Kuwaiti Low Cost Carrier Jazeera Airways on June 21. Pichler Was Formerly Chief Commercial Officer of Virgin Blue.

Thales Australia Has Appointed Marc Darmon to the Company’s Board of Directors, Replacing Former Director Jean-georges Malcor, Who Now Heads the Company’s Global Aerospace Division. Darmon Was Recently Appointed Head of Thales’s Naval Division Worldwide.

the Boeing Company’s Board of Directors Has Elected David L Calhoun as Its Newest Member. Calhoun, 52, is Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Nielsen Company.

Thomas Journalist of the Year ‘australian Aviation’ Contributor Geoffrey Thomas Was Awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Prestigious Aerospace Journalist of the Year Award for 2009 at a Ceremony in Paris on June 14.

Thomas, Who is a Senior Editor of Us Based ‘air Transport World’ and the Aviation Correspondent for the West Australian Newspaper, Was Also Awarded Best ‘strategy and Financial’ Submission.

The Rest of the ‘aa’ Team Offers Gt Our Warmest Congratulations on the Well Deserved Awards.

Events

Aviation Australia Will Hold Its Ninth Aviation Careers Expo at Its Brisbane Airport Headquarters on Saturday August 8. The Event is Australia’s Only Aviation Dedicated Careers Expo. For Further Information Go to Www. Aviationaustralia. Aero/expo, Email Deanne Hansell at Deanne. Hansell@aviationaustralia. Aero, or Call +61(0)7 3860 0900.