News Desk

The 21 metre-long section, which arrived pre-equipped with its systems, will be mounted in a giant assembly
jig where it will be joined to the centre and aft fuselage sections during the course of the northern hemisphere summer. The sections are transported to
Toulouse via the Airbus Beluga transport aircraft. A carbon composite built mid-size widebody twin, the A350 is slated to begin deliveries in the first half of
2014. (Airbus)

Boeing Has Named Long-time Sales Executive John Wojick to Lead Its Com-mercial Sales Division.

Mr Wojick, Most Recently Boeing’s Vice President for Commercial Sales in North America, Takes Over From Ray Conner, Who Was Named President and Ceo of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in June.

In His New Role, Mr Wojick is Responsible for the Sales of All Commercial Aircraft and Related Services to Airlines and Leasing Customers Worldwide.

Prior to His Most Re-cent Position, Mr Wojick Led Boeing’s Sales Efforts in Latin America, Caribbean, Asia Pacific and India. In Ad-dition, He Led Sales for Used and Vip Airplanes and Helped Launch Boeing Business Jets.

Extensive Damage Found Inside Fire-starting 787 Engine

Us Air Safety Investigators Have Determined That a Fracture to a Spinning Shaft Inside a Boeing 787’s General Electric Genx Engine Caused the Con-tained Failure That Led to a Brush Fire at a South Carolina Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board Said It’s Still Trying to Determine What Caused the Fan Mid-shaft to Break Free. The Incident Occurred During July 28 Pre-flight Testing of a 787 Due to Be Delivered to Air India. Burning Debris From the Engine Set Fire to Surrounding Grass, Closing the Charleston Interna-tional Airport for an Hour.

In a Statement, the Ntsb Said Boeing, Ge and Tokyo-based Ihi, Which Supplied the Failed Engine Component, Are All Assisting With the Enquiry.

“the Fan Mid-shaft is Under-going Several Detailed Examina-tions Including Dimensional and Metallurgical Inspections,” the Statement Said, Adding That the Fracture Had Occurred “at the Forward End of the Shaft, Rear of the Threads Where the Retaining Nut is Installed. ”

Eads Reports Strong Profits, More A350 Delays

Airbus Parent Eads Has Announced Stronger Than Expected Profits but Further Delays to Its A350 Program.

Eads Said Net Profits for the Second Quarter Reached €461 Million ($545m), Up From €121 Million in the Same Period Last Year. Sales Were Up 12 Per Cent to €13. 5 Billion, With the Company’s Order Book Reach-ing a Record €551. 7 Billion.

But the Robust Numbers Were Tempered Somewhat by News That the Airbus A350 Would Face Further Production Delays as a Result of a Previously Dis-closed Problem With Wing Drill-ing. Airbus Said Deliveries of the A350 Would Be Pushed Back by Several Months to the Second Half of 2014. The Company Said It Had Taken a Charge of €125 Million as a Result of the Delay and Warned That Further Delays Would Lead to More Charges.

Airbus Last Year Delayed Delivery of the First A350 by Six Months to the First Half of 2014, a Move It Attrib-uted to Late-arriving Parts.

Nasa’s Radical Research Aircraft Lifts Off

Nasa Has Flown a Scale Model of Its Updated Blended Wing-body Research Aircraft in a Small Step Toward What Many Believe Will Be a Gi-ant Leap in Aircraft Design.

The Boeing-designed X-48c Took Off From Edwards Air Force Base in California on August 7 and Reached an Altitude of 5,500ft Before Landing Nine Minutes Later.

A Remotely-piloted 8. 5 Per Cent Scale Model, the 250kg X-48c Features a 6. 4m Wingspan and Can Reach an Estimated Top Speed of About 120kt and a Maxi-mum Altitude of 10,000ft.

The New Prototype Builds on the X-48b Which Flew 92 Times Between 2007 and 2010. The X-48c is Configured With Two 89lb Thrust Turbojet Engines as Opposed to the X-48b’s Three 50lb Thrust Engines. Wingtip Winglets Have Been Relocated Inboard Next to the Engines, Ef-fectively Turning Them Into Twin Tails, While the Aft Deck Was Extended by 60cm at the Rear.

In Effect, the X-48 Design Represents Something of a Mid-dle Ground Between a ‘flying Wing’ Concept and a Traditional Aircraft That Will Handle Much Like the Latter While Offering a 20 to 30 Per Cent Improve-ment in Efficiency. Though the Us Military is Likely to Be the First Customer, the Design Could Eventually Make Its Way to Commercial Aircraft.

That Remains Some Way Off, However. Nasa Plans to Fly the X-48c About 20 Times Before Stepping Up to a Human-piloted Prototype Within About Five Years. A Final, Full-size Version Could Be Ready Within a Decade.

Airbus Chief Says Boeing Starting a Price War

the New Chief of Airbus Says Rival Boeing is Engaging in a Price War by Discount-ing Its 737 Max Airliner in a Bid to Steal Marketshare From the Airbus A320neo.

“boeing is Desperately Trying Now to Boost the Marketshare of the B737 Max,” Fabrice Bregier Told the German Newspaper Welt Am Sonntag. “they Are Very Aggressive When It Comes to Pricing. ” Aircraft Makers Do Not Generally Disclose the Terms of Sales Deals With Airlines, Though Airlines Almost Always Receive a Discount on List Prices.

Mr Bregier’s Comments Come on the Heels of a Strong Showing by the 737 Max at the Farnborough Airshow, Where Boeing Scored Orders and Commitments for More the 250 of Its Upgraded Narrowbodies, Due to Ship in 2017. Airbus’s A320neo, Scheduled to Begin Deliveries in 2015, Has Also Sold Well and Enjoyed a Head Start on Its Rival, but Boeing’s Entrant Has Battled Back as the Two Aerospace Giants Work to Increase Their Share of the Critical Single-aisle Market.

Mr Bregier Predicted That Boeing, Driven by the 737 Max, Would Likely Outsell Airbus This Year, a Reversal After Airbus Expanded Its Sales Lead Over Boeing Last Year.

The Airbus Ceo Also Told the Newspaper That Airbus Parent Eads Was Consider-ing Setting Up Its Own Bank as It Sought to Protect Itself From a Euro Zone Break-up. He Said the Company Had More Than €10 Billion (a$12bn) in Cash.

Commercial Briefs

• China’s Xiamen Airlines Has Agreed to Purchase 40 Boeing 737-800s as Part of a Major Fleet Expansion. The Deal, Valued at Us$3. 5 Billion at List Prices, is Pending Chinese Government Approval. Xiamen, a Subsidiary of China Southern Airlines, Operates a Fleet of Six 757s and 77 737s. It Plans to Expand Its Fleet to 200 Aircraft by 2020.

• Aeromexico Has Reached a Deal With Boeing to Purchase 90 737 Max 8 and 9 Aircraft and 10 787s. The Deal – Worth Us$10. 8 Billion at List Prices Once Final-ised – Represents the Largest-ever Aircraft Purchase by a Mexican Carrier, Aeromexico Said.

Military

Indonesian Flankers Headline Pitch Black

Four Indonesian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 Flanker Fighters Have Headlined the Raaf’s Bi-annual Pitch Black Air Combat Exercise as Part of Indonesia’s Inaugural Participa-tion in the Exercise, Reflecting a Key Australian Foreign Policy Goal of Strengthening Ties With Its Populous Neighbour.

Billed as the Largest Air Force Exercise in the Southern Hemi-sphere, This Year’s Pitch Black 12 Included 94 Aircraft and Some 2,200 Personnel From Six Countries, Including Austral-ia, the Us, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and New Zealand. In Addition to the Indonesian Fighters, Aircraft Making a First Appearance in the Exercise Included the Raaf’s F/a-18f Super Hornet, Wedgetail Aew&c Aircraft and Kc-30 Multi-role Tanker Transport, as Well as Singapore’s F-15sg Eagle. The Exercise Also Marked the Last Participation by the Raaf’s C-130h Hercules, With Those Aircraft Scheduled for Retirement Later This Year.

A Full Report on Pitch Black Will Be Featured in Aa’s October Issue.

Draken International Acquires Ex Kiwi Skyhawks

Contract Air Services Pro-vider Draken International is Buying Eight Ex Rnzaf Mcdonnell Douglas a-4k Skyhawks and Various Other Equipment and Accessories From the Nz Government.

Draken Will Use the Aircraft to Support Us Department of Defense Training Activi-ties, Providing Realistic Train-ing and Threat Simulation.

The Contract With Nz Includes Over 20 Spare en-gines and an Extensive Inven-tory of Spares, Publications, Life Support Equipment and Avionics. Also Included Are Two Flight Simulators for Cockpit Procedural Training and Nav/ Attack System Familiarisation.

Draken Expects to Have the Aircraft Operational by the First Quarter of 2013.

Indonesia to Buy Six Raaf C-130hs

Australia is Close to a Deal to Sell Six C-130h Hercules to Indonesia, Officials in That Country Have Confirmed.

The Price Tag for the Aircraft, Which the Raaf is Retiring at the End of the Year, Was Said to Be Roughly Us$15 Million Each.

“this Would Be a Good Deal for Us. The Price is Good,” Indonesia Defense Ministry Spokesman Brig Gen Hartind Asrin Told the Jakarta Post. “af-ter Being Refurbished, the Planes Will Be Just Like New, With Their Mileages Set to Zero Again. ” Australia is Already Donating Four C-130hs to Indonesia.

Indonesia Takes First Tucanos

Embraer Has Delivered the First Four of 16 a-29 Super Tucano Light Attack and Training Fighters to the Indonesian Air Force. The Aircraft, Formally Handed Over During a Ceremony at Embraer’s Facility in Sao Pãulo, Are Part of an Initial Order of Eight a-29s Placed in 2010. A Further Eight Fighters Were Later Added to the Order as Indonesia Moves to Replace Its Fleet of Ov-10 Broncos.

Indonesia is the First a-29 Operator in South-east Asia. The Aircraft, Designed for Light Attack, Border Patrol and Coun-ter-insurgency Missions as Well as Advanced Training, is in Use With Six Air Forces Worldwide.

Boeing Unveils Drone Swarm Tech

Boeing Engineers and Researchers at a Us University Have Demonstrated Technology That Allows Unmanned Drones to Function Like a Swarm of Insects, Acting in Unison With Little Direct Human Supervision.

The Swarm Technology Was Tested by Boeing and Re-searchers From Johns Hop-kins University on a Pair of Scaneagle Drones in Oregon During June, Boeing Has Said.

The Technology Allows a Con-troller on the Ground to Operate a Fleet of Drones Using Only a Laptop and a Radio, With the Drones Able to Communicate With Each Other and Work in Concert. The Company Did Not Release Any Footage or Details on How the Technology Worked.

“this Swarm Technology May One Day Enable Warfighters in Battle to Request and Receive [drones] Much Sooner Than They Can From Ground Control Sta-tions Today,” Gabriel Santander, Boeing’s Program Director of Advanced Autonomous Net-works, Said. “swarm Network Technology Has the Potential to Offer More Missions at Less Risk and Lower Operating Costs. ” So-called ‘bio-mimicry’ – Imitating the Behaviour of Insects in Particular – Has Emerged as a Key Field of Research in the Rapidly Expand-ing World of Drone Surveillance and Warfare. The University of Pennsylvania is Also Test-ing Drone Swarm Technology.

Jsf Releases First Weapon in Flight

the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Test Program Has Reached What Lockheed Martin Calls a Significant Milestone by Successfully Dropping a Dummy Bomb Into the at-lantic Ocean on August 8.

The Release of an Inert 1,000lb Gbu-32 Jdam Was the First Time an F-35 Has Released a Weapon in Flight. The Mission Was Carried Out by a Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing F-35b, the Variant or-dered by the Us Marine Corps and the United Kingdom.

Lockheed Martin, the Prime Contractor on the F-35 Pro-gram, Said the Weapon Release Was the First Step in Validating the F-35’s “capability to Employ Precision Weapons and Allow Pilots to Engage the Enemy on the Ground and in the Air. ” an Aerial Weapons Separa-tion Test Checks for Proper Release of the Weapon From Its Carriage System and Trajec-tory Away From the Aircraft, and is the Culmination of a Significant Number of Prior Tests, Lockheed Martin Said.

“while This Weapons Separa-tion Test is Just One Event in a Series of Hundreds of Flights and Thousands of Test Points That We Are Executing This Year, It Does Represent a Significant Entry Into a New Phase of Testing for the F-35 Program,” Said Navy Capt Erik Etz, Director of Test for F-35.

Meanwhile, the Uk Formally Accepted the First Interna-tional F-35 During a Ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas Headquarters on July 19, the First Handover of an International Customer F-35.

The Aircraft, an F-35b Short Takeoff and Vertical Land-ing (Stovl) Variant, Then Headed to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to Be Used for Pilot and Crew Training.

During the Acceptance Ceremony, Uk Secretary of State for Defence Announced That the Country Planned to Order a Fourth F-35 Next Year in Addition to the Three Already on Order. Lockheed Martin Has Finished Production on the Sec-ond Uk Aircraft, Which is Cur-rently Undergoing Test Flights.

Military Briefs

• Pilatus Aircraft Has Won a Qatar Emiri Air Force (Qeaf) Contract for the Delivery of a Pi-lot Training System Based Around the Pc-21 Turboprop Trainer. The Pilatus Training Aircraft Will Be Used to Train Basic and Advanced Student Pilots in the Recently Established Qeaf Air Force Academy in Qatar. The First Pc-21 Will Be Supplied to the Academy in Mid-2014, With Training Beginning the Year After.

• the Raaf’s Fleet of Hawk Lead-in Fighters Has Hit 75,000 Hours of Flying. The Jet, Used to Train Fighter Pilots and Aircrew, Was Introduced Into Raaf Service in 2001, With the Raaf Now Operating a Fleet of 33 of the Aircraft Based at Williamtown and Pearce.

Airlines

Joyce Confirms Qantas Loss, Says Job Cuts Will Save $300m

Qantas Expects to Save $300 Million a Year Through 2,800 Previously Announced Job Cuts Under Its Five-year Transformation Plan, Ceo Alan Joyce Told a Us Business Forum in Sydney on August 8.

Mr Joyce Also Revealed That the Airline Was Due to Report an Underlying Profit but a Statutory Loss When It Released Its Annual Financial Results on August 23. He Blamed the Loss on the Cost of Last Year’s Labour Dispute, the High Price of Fuel and the Short-term Effects of the Airline’s Transformation. “it is the Price We Pay for a Rapid and Massive Transition in Our Business – in Mak-ing It Stronger and Better. ” Though the 2,800 Job Losses Do Not Include Any New Cuts, It is the First Time Qantas Has Placed a Total Number on the Jobs to Be Lost Through Its Transformation Plan. The Job Cuts Have Been Announced in Chunks Over the Past Year.

Most of the Cuts Have Come From Maintenance, Engineer-ing and Catering, With Qantas Having Announced the Closure of One of Its Three Australian Maintenance Bases and the Sale of Two of Its Seven Catering Centres. Most Recently, Qantas and Lufthansa Announced the Closure of a Joint Jet Engine Workshop in Melbourne at the Cost of 164 Jobs.

The 2,800 Cuts Represent About 10 Per Cent of Qan-tas 26,000 Employees.

Mr Joyce Said Qantas Was on Track to Return Its Strug-gling International Business to Profitability Within Three Years. Qantas International is Believed to Have Lost Roughly $450 Million Last Year as Its Share of the Market Continued to Slip.

Meanwhile, Qantas is Claim-ing Victory After Fair Work Australia Backed the Airline in Its Dispute With Its Bag-gage Handlers’ Union, Which Had Argued for a Limit on the Use of Outsourced Labour.

In a Statement, Qantas Said the Decision Left It “free to Run Our Business as We See Fit and Not Be Dictated to by Union Officials Who Do Not Have the Airline’s Best Interests at Heart. ”

Emirates: Qantas Deal Could Come in Six Months

a Codesharing Agreement Between Qantas and Emirates Could Be Finalised Within Six Months but Will Not Include Any Deal to Share Revenues, the Chairman of Dubai-based Emirates Has Said.

“we’ve Been Engaging With Them for Some Time,” Emir-ates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-maktoum Told Reporters in Dubai on August 1, According to Reuters. “the Objective is to Eventually See Qantas Fly Through Dubai. ” Speculation Over the Tie-up Has Increased in Recent Weeks After Reports That the Two Airlines Were in the Late Stages of Talks That Would See Qantas Fly to Dubai for the First Time. Qantas Has Issued a Vague Confirmation Saying That Emirates is Among a “number of Airlines” With Which It is Discussing Possible Alliances.

The Talks Come as Qantas Looks for Ways to Stop the Bleeding From Its Interna-tional Business. A Tie-up With Emirates, Which Operates the World’s Largest International Network, Would Allow Qan-tas to Offer One-stop Flights to Some 30 Destinations in Europe and 18 in Africa, Far More Than It Currently Offers Through Singapore. In Turn, Emirates Would Get Access to Qantas’s Domestic Network.

On the Surface, the Deal Would Mirror the Codeshar-ing Agreement Between Virgin Australia and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad. But It Would Represent a Significant Change and in Many Ways a Retreat for Qantas, Which Could Be Forced to Scale Back or Give Up Its Codesharing Agree-ment With British Airways.

Etihad Approved to Double Virgin Stake

Etihad Airways Has Received Approval to Double Its Stake in Virgin Australia’s Domes-tic Business to 10 Per Cent Despite Heavy Lobbying Against the Deal by Rival Qantas.

In a Statement, the Uae Flag Carrier Said Its Bid to Increase Its Stake in Virgin From 4. 99 Per Cent Had Been Approved by Australian’s Foreign Investment Review Board.

“the Purchase Was Made Following the Development of a Highly Successful Multi-tiered Partnership Between the Two Airlines That Includes Codesharing on Flights, Joint Marketing Initiatives and Reciprocal Earn-and-burn on Their Respective Frequent Flier Programs,” Etihad Said.

“the Strategic Partnership Has Already Delivered Signifi-cant Revenues to Each Airline. It is Expected That the Eq-uity Stake in Virgin Australia Will Lead to Further Revenue Generating Opportunities. ” Virgin Australia Earlier This Year Split Its Business Into Separate International and Domestic Wings in Order to Overcome Legal Restrictions That Cap Foreign Ownership of Australia-based International Airlines at 49 Per Cent. No Such Cap Exists for Domestic Carriers.

Qantas Has Argued That the Virgin Domestic and Interna-tional Businesses Are Separate in Name Only and That Allow-ing Greater Foreign Investment in Virgin Gives It an Unfair Advantage, Since Outside Invest-ment in Qantas is Limited Under the Qantas Sale Act.

Alliance Partner Air New Zealand Owns a 19. 9 Per Cent Stake in Virgin Australia While Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Holdings Owns More Than 26 Per Cent of the Airline.

Air New Zealand Launches New Livery

Few Airlines Seem as Keen to Tinker With Their Livery as Air New Zealand, Which Has Announced Plans for a Full Fleet Update Starting Next Year.

The Overhaul Will See the Tails of All New Aircraft Painted Black and a Modernisation of the Airline’s Lettering. The Black Tails Follow a Promotion Last Year That Saw Several of the Car-rier’s Aircraft Painted All Black in Honour of New Zealand’s All Blacks Rugby Team.

“black Has Resonated Well With Our Customers and Staff Who Identify With It as the Colour of New Zealand and a Natural Choice for Our National Airline,” Ceo Rob Fyfe Said. “our Iconic Symbol, the Koru, Will Remain but It Will Be Set Within Our National Colour Rather Than the Blue and Green Tones on Our Tails Today. ” the Airline Said the New Lettering, Developed by Kiwi Typeface Designer Kris Sowersby, Will Be Rolled Out Across Its “signage and Communications Channels” by the End of This Year.

China Southern Coming to Cairns, Adding to Brisbane

China Southern Airlines Will Launch Service to Cairns and Increase Flights to Brisbane as It Continues a Dramatic Expan-sion of Services to Australia.

The Carrier – China’s Largest International Airline – Will Make Cairns Its Fifth Austral-ian Port With Three Weekly Flights From Its Guangzhou Hub Commencing in Decem-ber, When It Will Also Increase Brisbane Flights From Four Times Per Week to Daily.

The Announcement, Which Came Less Than a Month After China Eastern Announced Its Own Shanghai-cairns Flights, Was Hailed by Tour-ism Australia as a Step Toward a “tourism Renaissance” for Tropical North Queensland, With Chinese Visitors to Cairns Already Having Increased by 39 Per Cent Last Year.

“the Appeal is Clearly There and, Now, With This Significant Injection of Air Capacity, So is the Improvement in Air Access We Need From Australia’s Fastest Growing and Most Valuable Overseas Market,” Tourism Australia Managing Direc-tor Andrew Mcevoy Said.

China Southern Has More Than Quadrupled Its Capac-ity to Australia Over the Past Two Years and Has Flagged Plans for Significant Further Increases, With Flights Ex-pected to Reach 110 Per Week by 2015 From 10 Per Week in 2009. The Airline Currently Carries Roughly One in Five Chinese Visitors to Australia.

Tourism Officials See the Growing Chinese Middle Class as the Key to Efforts to Revive the Struggling Australian Tour-ism Industry. Some 542,000 Chinese Visited Australia Last Year, a 19. 4 Per Cent Increase Over the Previous Year That Made China Australia’s Third-largest and Fastest-growing Inbound Market.

Australian Tourism Officials Were in Guangzhou for the China Southern Announcement, Where They Also Unveiled a a$9 Million Marketing Campaign. The Deal Includes Partnership Agreements With Destination New South Wales, Tourism Victoria and Tourism Western Australia. Tourism Australia Said the Partnerships Were Part of a “concerted Move Within the Australian Tourism Industry to Speak With ‘one Voice’ When Marketing Itself Internationally in Primary Growth Markets. ”

No ‘fare War’ Yet as Prices Keep Rising

Increasing Competition Between Qantas and Vir-gin Australia Has Yet to Pay a Dividend for Passengers as Domestic Airfares in Australia Rose by Five Per Cent Over the Three Months Ending in June.

That Was Well Above a Three Per Cent Rise Across the Asia Pacific Region and Roughly One Per Cent Increases in the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“sustained Demand Has Kept Domestic Airfares on a Growth Trajectory for the Australian Market,” Said Carl Jones, Head of American Express Advisory Services for the Asia Pacific, Which Tracks Airfares. Mr Jones Said Demand Was Particularly Strong From the Resources Sector.

“we Haven’t Yet Seen the Impact That Increased Capacity From Local Carriers Has Had on Domestic Airfares and It Will Be Interesting to See How Domestic Fares Perform in the Last Two Quarters of the Year,” Mr Jones Added, Referring to Specula-tion That Qantas and Virgin Are Headed for a Fare War.

Fares Also Rose Strongly in India, While Intra-asia Fares Fell by 2 Per Cent From the Second Quarter Last Year Due to Increasing Competi-tion From Low-cost Carriers.

Virgin Opens a Lounge for the High Rollers

Passengers Who Need Exhaus-tive Pampering Now Have Their Choice of Australian Airlines, With Virgin Opening Its First Ultra-exclusive, Invitation-only Lounge at Sydney Airport, the Australian Business Travel-ler Website Has Reported.

Dubbed ‘the Club,’ the Secretive Lounge Will Vie Against Qantas’s Hush-hush Chair-man’s Club for the Patronage of Politicos, Ceos and a-list Celebrities. Virgin Has Not Made Any Photographs Inside ‘the Club’ Publicly Available, but We Imagine Guests Will Not Be Sitting on Bean-bag Chairs.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra Airports Are Expected to Get Their Own Versions of the Swish Retreat as Virgin Continues Its Efforts to Pry the Top End of the Corporate Travel Market Away From Qantas.

Avation Takes Atr 72-600 for Virgin/skywest

Singapore-based Leas-ing Company Avation Took Delivery of Its First Atr 72-600 Turboprop in Early August as Part of an Agreement With Skywest and Virgin Australia.

The 74-seat Aircraft is the First of Nine 72-600s Ordered by Avation for Use on Regional Routes in Australia. Avation Has Already Placed Six 72-500s in Australia as Part of Its Deal With Skywest and Virgin.

Skywest Operates Regional Turboprop Services on Behalf of Virgin in Queensland, New South Wales and the Act.

Qantas Going Back to the Gold Coast

Qantas Will Resume Flights to the Gold Coast With Three Times Weekly Services From Syd-ney Beginning in Late October.

The Airline Said Condi-tions Were Right for Its Return More Than Four Years After It Cancelled Services to the Gold Coast, Saying at the Time That It Was Losing Money on the Flights. Budget Sub-sidiary Jetstar Has Continued Operating on the Route.

“with the Massive Develop-ment of Southeast Queens-land, the Gold Coast is Australia’s Sixth-largest City and a Fast-growing Pre-mium Travel Market,” Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Said.

“our Customers Have Told Us That They Want a Premium Leisure and Business Service, Complementing Jetstar’s Exist-ing Services as Part of Our Two-brand Strategy, and We Are Responding to That Demand. ” Qantas Said It Would Oper-ate Boeing 737-800 Aircraft on the Route. The Airline Also Said It Would Refurbish the Gold Coast Passenger Lounge Currently Used by Jetstar and Reopen It as a Qantas Club by the End of the Year.

Virgin Australia Has in-creased Flights to the Gold Coast by Seven Per Cent This Year and Launched Business Class Services on the Route Last Year. Tiger Airways Last Month Relaunched Flights From Sydney to the Gold Coast.

China Airlines to Add Akl-syd-tpe Flights

China Airline Has Confirmed Plans to Launch a Four Times Weekly Service From Auck-land to Taipei via Sydney.

The Service, Due to Begin on October 28, Comple-aapmbf Ments Existing Three Times Weekly Flights From Auckland to Taipei via Brisbane, Ef-fectively Giving Auckland a Daily Air Link With Taiwan.

The New Auckland-sydney- Taipei Service Will Be Operated by Airbus A330-300s in a Two-class, 307-seat Configuration.

Tiger to Add 100 Staff as Bounce-back Continues

Tiger Airways Has an-nounced Plans to Hire 100 New Staff as It Ramps-up Flights to Pre-grounding Levels.

The Budget Carrier Launched Services on Its Sydney-brisbane Route From August 1 and Will Increase Daily Flights Across Its Network From 44 to 64 by October. That Comes After the Carrier Opened Its Sec-ond Base of Operations at Sydney Airport Alongside Its Main Hub in Melbourne.

Tiger Said 70 of the 100 New Jobs Will Be Based in Melbourne While the Other 30 Will Be Based in Sydney. The New Hires Will Include Pilots, Cabin Crew, Engineering Staff and Manag-ers, Bringing Its Australian Workforce to Nearly 500. Tiger Said It Would Also Base a Second Aircraft in Sydney as It Launches the Brisbane Route. The Carrier Operates a Fleet of 10 A320s and is Bringing in an 11th to Serve as an Operational Spare.

In Early August the Airline Released Financial Results That Showed It Trimming Its Losses but Still Well in the Red as It Grapples With Intensifying Com-petition From Australia’s Other Carriers. Tiger Has Operated Under a Casa-imposed Daily Flight Cap Since It Was Allowed to Resume Operations Follow-ing a Six-week Grounding Over Safety Concerns Last Year. The Cap Has Gradually Been Eased Over Time and Tiger Has Applied to Have It Dropped Altogether.

Tiger Reported an Operat-ing Loss in Australia of $16 Million for the Three Months Ending in June, Improving on Losses of About $17. 6 Mil-lion in the First Quarter. The Carrier Said Quarter-to-quarter Yields Rose by 11 Per Cent.

Tiger Says the Intensifying Capacity War Between Qantas and Virgin Australia Means It Will Take Longer Than Expected for Tiger to Turn a Profit. Ceo Andrew David Said Yields Were Expected to Fall in the Second Half of the Year as Substantial Capacity Increases by Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia Force Airlines to Cut Fares.

“we May See a Delay in Profitability, but Our Com-petitors Are Going to Feel It as Well,” Mr David Said.

The Carrier Has Also Con-tinued to Post Consistently Improved on-time Numbers, Beating All Other Austral-ian Carriers in June.

Still, the Second-quarter Losses Bring Tiger’s Total Losses in Australia to $190 Million Since Its Launched Operations in 2007. Tiger Australia’s Losses Continue to Drag Down the Performance of Its Sin-gaporean Parent Company, Which Posted a Fifth Straight Quarterly Loss Despite Profit-able Operations in Singapore.

Qantas Moves Ahead With Ipad Ife

Qantas Will Launch Its Ipad-based ‘qstreaming’ Inflight Entertainment System on Its East Coast Fleet of Boeing 767s Starting Later This Year.

The System, Which Allows Passengers to Access More Than 200 Hours of Free Movies, Tv Shows and Other Content via a Qantas-provided Tablet, Will Hit the First of the Airline’s 767s in the Fourth Quarter of This Year. Qantas is Looking at Options to Expand the Service to Other Aircraft Types in the Future, a Spokesperson Said.

The Launch Follows a Success-ful Trial of the Wi-fi System on a Single 767 Earlier This Year. The Trial Also Looked at Allowing Passengers to Access Content via Their Own Wi-fi-enabled Devices, but Qantas Decided Not to Pursue That Option for Now, the Spokesperson Said.

“our Customers Were the First in the World to Experience the Ground-breaking Wi-fi Entertainment Technology and We Received Great Feedback From Our Customers During the Trial This Year,” Qantas Domestic Chief Lyell Strambi Said. “we’re Now Looking at Ways to Evolve This Technology Platform Even Further With Our Partner Panasonic to Bring New Standards of Inflight Enter-tainment to Our Customers. ” Feedback From the Trial Led Qantas to Develop a Stand That Allows the Ipad to Be Set Upright on the Seatback Tray or Secured to the Back of the Seat When Passen-gers Need Their Hands Free, Such as During Meal Times.

Qstreaming, Which Qan-tas Has Described as a World First, Arrives as Airlines Look for Alternatives to the Tradi-tional Seatback Ife, a Signifi-cant Source of Weight, Power Consumption and Maintenance Costs. Virgin Australia Has Signed on for a Lufthansa-developed Wi-fi-based Ife Scheduled for Launch This Year, While Jetstar Last Year Began Renting Out Pre-loaded Ipads.

The Qantas System, Which Streams Content From an Onboard Server, is Based on Panasonic Exw Technology.

Virgin to Upgrade Perth Services in Push for Parity With Qantas

Continuing to Press Its Assault on Qantas, Virgin Aus-tralia Will Move the Majority of Its Trans-continental Flights to Internationally-configured A330 Widebodies While Offering Passengers Free Meals, Drinks and Inflight Entertainment.

The Changes, Due to Take Effect on September 26, Will Bring Virgin Services in Line With Qantas on the Fast-growing Perth Routes. Virgin, Which Had Previously Charged for Food, Drinks and Enter-tainment, Said the Upgrade Would Not Affect Ticket Prices.

“enhancing the Travel Experience From the East Coast to Perth is an Important Part of Our Strategy to Become the Airline of Choice in Aus-tralia,” Said Merren Mcarthur, Virgin’s Executive for Alli-ances, Network and Yield.

The Changes Will See Vir-gin Move All Five of Its Daily Melbourne-perth Services to A330 Aircraft. Currently It Flies Twice Daily Aboard A330s, With the Remaining Three Flights on Boeing 737-800s. Virgin Said It Would Continue to Fly Three of Its Four Daily Sydney- Perth Services Aboard A330s.

Brisbane-perth Services, Meanwhile, Will Be in-creased From Two to Three Per Day Aboard 737-800s Equipped With Virgin’s New Business Class Cabin.

Virgin Expects to Introduce Its Fifth A330-200 Into Service Early in September, Paving the Way for the Upgrade. The Carrier Has Taken Delivery of a Pair of New A330-200s This Year in Addition to Two Ex Emirates Machines. The Aircraft, Virgin’s Domestic Flagship, Feature 24 Lie-flat Business Class Seats and 255 Economy Class Seats.

Buoyed by the Mining Boom, Perth Has Emerged as Aus-tralia’s Fastest Growing Airport, With Passenger Numbers Up by Nearly 10 Per Cent Last Year as East Coast Airports Reported Flat or Negative Growth.

Cobham Mods Jets for Gravel Runways

Fifo Carrier Cobham Aviation Says It Has Opened Up Hundred of Remote Air Strips to Commercial Jet Service for the First Time by Modifying Two Bae 146 Aircraft With ‘gravel Kits’ That Protect the Undercarriage and Airframe During Takeoff and Landing.

“until Now, Companies Operating Out of Gravel Airstrips Were Forced to Use Turbo-prop Aircraft, With a Limit of 50 Passengers,” Said Cob-ham Ceo Peter Nottage.

“the Gravel Kit Modification Means Faster Flights in Safe, Quiet Jets With Full Cabin Service for Mining Workers, Creat-ing a Much Improved Travel Experience and a Happier and More Productive Workforce. The Alternative to Achieve This is to Spend Millions of Dollars Building a Sealed Runway. ” the Carrier Said Its First Jet Fifo Services Were Being Pro-vided to a Mining Consortium in Kambalda, 500km East of Perth. Cobham is Also in Active Talks With Other Mining Com-panies to Expand the Service.

The Introduction of the Gravel Kits on the 71-seat Bae 146 Came After an 18 Month Test Period and Final Approval by Casa in January. The Kits Include Specialised Rubber Paint to Protect the Underside of the Fuselage, a Nose Wheel Stone Deflector and a Kevlar Undercarriage Shield Around the Main Landing Gear.

Cobham Believes That Only the Bae 146 is Durable Enough to Operate on Unsealed Gravel Strips, Mr Nottage Said. He Said the Aircraft Are Used for Similar Services in Mongolia and Bolivia, Though Nowhere Else.

Skywest Wins Perth-derby Rpt Extension

Wa’s Department of Transport Has Awarded Skywest Airlines a 12-month Extension on the Perth to Derby (Curtin) Regular Public Transport (Rpt) Route.

Skywest Took Over the Service in February Following the Collapse of Air Australia. It Currently Operates a 162-seat Airbus A320 on the Route From Mondays to Thursday and a 100-seat Fokker 100 on Fridays.

Sia to Add Second Mel A380 Service

Singapore Airlines Was Due to Launch a Second Daily A380 Service Between Melbourne and Singapore in Mid-august.

The Second A380 Services Replace Boeing 777-300ers on Sq217/218, Departing Singa-pore at 9:55am and Returning From Melbourne at 12:05am. The Airline, Which Already Oper-ates Two Daily A380 Services Between Singapore-sydney, Will Continue to Operate a Third Daily Melbourne-singapore Flight Using Boeing 777-300s.

Sia Said the Increased Capacity From the Switch to the A380 Was in Line With a Broad Uptick in Services to Australia, Including Recently Added Flights to Brisbane and Adelaide.

Virgin to Cut Hamilton Nz Flights on Slack Demand

Virgin Australia Will End Its Thrice-weekly Ser-vices From Brisbane to Hamilton, New Zealand, Citing a Lack of Demand.

The Airline Said Its Last Flight on the Route Would Be on October 27. Virgin Began Flying to Hamilton in 2009.

“despite Our Support and Our Positive Relationship With Ham-ilton Airport Over the Past Three Years, Demand for This Service Has Continued to Deteriorate and the Service is No Longer Sustainable,” Virgin Australia New Zealand Executive General Manager Mark Pitt Said.

Virgin’s Current Brisbane- Hamilton Schedule, Aboard a Boeing 737-800, Departs Bris-bane on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:15pm, Arriving at 12:25am. Return Flights Depart Hamilton at 6:45am on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, Arriving at 8:40am.

Virgin’s Departure From the Route Means Hamilton Will Lose Its Only Direct International Flights, a Major Blow for an Air-port That Has Sought to Position Itself as a Low-cost Secondary Gateway to New Zealand.

Qantas Taps Corporate Dealmaker as New Top Lawyer

Qantas General Counsel Brett Johnson Will Step Down Later This Year and Be Replaced by a Lawyer Who Has Spent His Career Specialising in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions.

Andrew Finch Will Take Over as General Counsel Effective November 1, the Airline Said in a Statement. Mr Finch is Currently a Partner at Sydney-based Commercial Law Firm Allens, Where He Specialises in Takeovers, Mergers, Business Acquisitions, Private Equity and Corporate Restructurings, According to a Biography on the Law Firm’s Website.

Mr Finch Represented Qantas in a Later-abandoned 2008 Proposal to Merge With British Airways, as Well as in Its Response to a $10 Billion Private Equity Takeover Offer Led by Macquarie Bank and Tpg in 2006 and 2007.

Mr Johnson, the Outgo-ing Counsel, Will Assist With the Transition and Will Re-main With the Airline as a Consultant, Qantas Said.

Emirates to Top 5,000 Aussie Employees

the Number of Austral-ians Employed by the Emir-ates Group is Set to Top 5,000 as the Airline Prepares to Open a Service Centre in Adelaide, Emirates Says.

Australians Make Up the Fourth Largest National Group Among the 130 Nationalities Working as Emirates Air Crew, According to the Carrier. In All, Emirates Airline and Group (Including Emirates Airline, Emirates Skycargo, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Toll Dnata, Alpha, Mindpearl and Emir-ates Leisure Retail) Employs Some 3,500 People in Australia, While Another 1,200 Australians Work From the Airline’s Dubai Hub. That Makes Emirates the Third Largest Airline Employer of Australians, Behind Qan-tas and Virgin Australia.

In July Emirates Announced Plans to Launch Nonstop Flights From Dubai to Adelaide in November. Those Plans Come as the Carrier Ramps Up Its Services to Australia From 70 Flights Per Week to 84 Per Week by March Next Year.

“with Recent Announcements – Including the Launch of Ad-elaide as Emirates’ Fifth Gateway in Australia and Increased Capacity for Perth Through a Third Daily Flight, as Well as the Introduction of a Daily A380 Service From Melbourne – It is Clear That Our Employment Numbers Will Continue to Rise. We’ll Reach the Milestone 5,000 Mark This Month [july],” Said Barry Brown, Emirates’ Vice President Australasia.

Airports

Wilton Airport Study to Move Ahead

the Federal Government Has Appointed Technical Experts and Consultants for a Scoping Study Into the Suit-ability of Wilton as a Site for a Second Sydney Airport.

The Study, Expected to Take Six Months, Will Include Detailed Economic, Social and Environmental Studies of the Site, Located Some 80km Southwest of Sydney Cbd.

“the Main Purpose of the Study is to Identify as Early as Possible the Challenges and the Opportunities of Any Airport Development,” Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Said. “it is Impor-tant That a Proper Investiga-tion Take Place Prior to Any Final Decisions Being Made. ” Mr Albanese Added That He Had Written to Local Gov-ernments and Members of Parliament Advising Them of the Study and Was “determined to Make Sure There is Proper Consultation and Engage-ment With the Community. ” Past Studies of Wilton as a Possible Airport Site Have Raised Concerns, Including Over the Possible Contamination of Water Catchments. But the Site Has Emerged as the Government’s Top Option Following the Release of a Study Earlier This Year Predicting “aircraft Deadlock” at the Current Sydney Airport Within a Decade and Dire Long-term Economic Consequences if a Second Airport Isn’t Built.

The Issue Remains Highly Contentious, However, With New South Wales Premier Barry O’farrell Having Vowed to Oppose the Construc-tion of a Second Airport Anywhere in the State.

According to the State-ment, the Following Consult-ants Have Been Appointed for the Wilton Study: Worleyparsons, in Partner-ship With Pricewaterhouse-coopers and Airport Master Planning Consultants, Will Conduct a Detailed Assessment of Environmental and Infra-structure Aspects Near Wilton.

Ernst and Young Will Conduct a Thorough Examination of the Scale and Nature of Impacts of an Airport Development on the Surrounding Wilton and Rich-mond Communities, Including Factors Such as Aircraft Noise, Opportunities for Employment and Infrastructure Investment.

Both of These Studies Will Be Supported by Passenger Demand Analysis Undertaken by Booz and Company.

Aviation Operational is-sues Surrounding a Wilton Airport Are Detailed in Doug Macdonald’s Debrief Col-umn Elsewhere in This Issue.

Tourism Group Calls for More Syd Flights

a Tourism Taskforce Has Called for a Relaxation of the Aircraft Movement Cap at Sydney Airport in Order to Meet Visitor Targets.

The Report by the Visitor Economy Taskforce Said the Federal Government Should Raise the Peak Hour Cap at the Airport From 80 to 90 Aircraft Movements While Increasing the Number of Flights Allowed Between 5am and 6am From 24 to 35.

The Taskforce Said Those Changes Would Bring in Nearly $1 Billion a Year in Increased Expenditures and Would Allow Nsw to Meet Its 2020 Tourism Goals. But the Federal Govern-ment Has Repeatedly Rejected Calls to Raise the Cap, Most Re-cently From a Government-com-missioned Study That Called for Raising the Peak Hour Cap From 80 to 85 Flights to Help Relieve Airport Congestion. The Cap, as Well as an Overnight Flight Curfew, is in Place in Response to Concerns Over Aircraft Noise.

The Taskforce Report Also Called for a Variety of Other Measure to Boost Tourism to Nsw, Saying the State Was Increasingly Losing Marketshare to Other States Such as Victoria. Those Measures Include State Government Incentives to Boost Construction of New Hotels, the Development of a Brand Strat-egy for the State, and Targeted Advertising to Key Tourism Markets Such as China, the Us, Britain and South Korea.

The Report Did Not Ad-dress the Option of Building a Second Sydney Airport.

Tamworth Upgrade Complete

a Revamped Tamworth Regional Airport Has Opened Its Doors After a $4. 2 Mil-lion Terminal Extension and Security Upgrade.

The Federally-funded Renova-tions Have Seen the Airport’s Arrivals and Departures Lounge Tripled in Size and the Car Park Extended, as Well as the Installation of New Security Equipment Including Explo-sive Trace Detection Machines, Hand-held Metal Detectors and Baggage Screening Machines.

Passenger Travel Through Tamworth – Australia’s Largest Regional Airport – Has Dou-bled Since 2003, Averaging 10 Per Cent Growth Per Year.

Bne Debuts Self-service Bag Drop

Brisbane Airport Has Intro-duced a Self-service Bag Drop System That Will Be Phased in Over the Coming Months.

The System, Designed by Aerospace Technology Firm Sita, Allows Passengers to Check a Bag in Less Than 25 Second. After Check-in, Pas-sengers Attach the Bag Tag to Their Luggage and Then Drop if Off at a Station, Where It is Weighed, Scanned, Measured and Dispatched for Flight.

The System is Being Launched on Jetstar Domestic Services and Will Be Extended to Other Car-riers Over the Remainder of the Year. The Airport Said the System is a Response to Growing Pas-senger Number, Which Topped 21 Million Last Financial Year.

“peak Times Are Already Busy and Will Only Become Busier, So We Are Committed to Using the Best Technology to Im-prove Operations, Enhance the Passenger Experience and to Make Optimum Use of the Space We Have Available,” Said Roel Hellemons, Brisbane Airport’s General Manager for Strategic Planning and Development.

General Aviation

Ga Shipments Rise as Signs Grow of Market Recovery

the General Aviation Manufacturers Association Says an Uptick in Aircraft Shipments During the First Half the Year May Be a Sign of a Bounce-back in the Beleaguered Ga Market.

Gama Said Aircraft Ship-ments Rose Nearly Six Per Cent Compared to the First Six Months of 2011, While the Value of Aircraft Deliveries Rose 13. 2 Per Cent. Growth Was Led by Deliveries of Business Jets, Which Were Up by 13. 1 Per Cent, and Turboprops, Up by 10. 5 Per Cent. Delivery of Piston-powered Aircraft Dropped by 1. 6 Per Cent.

In All, 918 Ga Aircraft Worth Us$8. 2 Billion Were Shipped in the First Half of the Year, Up From 867 Air-craft Worth $7. 2 Billion in the Same Period Last Year.

“we Are Starting to See Posi-tive Signs in the 2012 Shipment Data,” Said Gama’s President and Ceo, Pete Bunce. “when Coupled With the Positive Trend We Are Seeing in the Used Mar-ket, We May Finally Be Witness-ing the Start of Our Recovery. ”

Cessna Unveils Jet-a Fuelled 182

Cessna Has Unveiled an Upgraded Version of Its Single-engine Skylane to Run on Jet-a Fuel.

The Skylane Jt-a (Pro-nounced ‘jet-a’) Will Come Equipped With a 230hp (171kw) Diesel Engine From French Manufacturer Sma Safran and Will Feature a Maximum Speed of 155kt, a Range of 1,160nm and a Ceil-ing of 20,000ft, All Significant Boosts Over the Current Avgas Burning 182 Model. Cessna Said the New Aircraft Will Burn 41. 6 Litres of Jet Fuel Per Hour.

The Upgraded 182 Will Be Available in the Second Quarter of 2013 at a Base Price of Us$515,000.

“cessna’s Skylane Jt-a Delivers a Solution That the Marketplace Has Been Asking for,” Said Jeff Umscheid, Cessna 172, 182, 206 Business Leader. “the 230hp Jet-a Engine Offers Customers Increased Range and Greater Payload Capacity and Does Not Sacrifice Performance. This Plane Offers Significantly Lower Direct Operating Costs Due to the Fact That Jet-a Fuel is Typically More Affordable and Much More Widely Available. ” Cessna Said the Skylane Jt-a Will Also Be More Environmentally Friendly by Eliminating Concerns About Carbon Monoxide Emis-sions, Fuel Mixtures, Propel-ler Control and Exhaust Gas Associated With Avgas Engines. A Lower Propeller Speed Will Also Result in Reduced Noise.

The Skylane Jt-a Will Seat Up to Four and Will Feature the Garmin G1000 Avionics Suite.

Continental to Develop Diesels

Continental Motors Ex-pects to Be Awarded Us Federal Aviation Administra-tion Certification for the First of Its Line of Jet Fuel Burning Diesel Engines Later This Year, the General Aviation Engine Manufacturer Announced at the Oshkosh Airshow in July.

Continental Ceo Rhett Ross Said the Expected Certifi-cation Would Put Continental in Line to Start Rate Produc-tion of the Engines in the First Quarter of 2013. Continental Has Yet to Announce Any Launch Applications for the Engines.

The Company’s First Die-sel Engine is Expected to Be a 200-250hp (149-187kw) Model Known as the Td-300. A Larger, 300-350hp (224-261kw) Version is Expected to Follow in 2015 While a 160-180hp (119-134kw) Model is Slated for Production in 2017.

Ross Said the Move Toward Diesel Engines Was Driven by a Lack of Leaded Avgas in Some International Markets and Uncertainly About Fu-ture Availability of 100ll in the Us. Continental is Also Responding to Concerns About Avgas Availability by Certifying Low-compression Engines That Run on Unleaded Auto Fuel.

“we Are Not Abandon-ing the Higher Horsepower Engines,” Ross Said. “we Fully Desire a Drop-in Replace-ment for 100ll – but We’re Not Going to Wait for It. ”

Security

Body Scanners Get the Go-ahead

the Federal Parliament Has Passed Legislation That Will See Full Body Scanners Installed at Security Queues Across Aus-tralia’s International Airports.

The Scanners, Unlike Ma-chines That Have Proven Contro-versial in the Us, Display Only a Generic ‘stick Figure’ Outline of Passengers While Highlighting Items Hidden Under Clothing.

The Federal Government Flagged Plans to Roll Out the Scanners Earlier This Year Following Trials at Sydney and Melbourne Airports.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Said the Scanners Would Be in Place by November and Will Be Used Beside Existing Walk-through Metal Detectors, With Passengers Required to Go Through One or the Other.

Aside From Exemption for Certain Medical Condi-tions, Passengers Who Refuse to Go Through the Scanners Will Be Barred From Fly-ing, Mr Albanese Said.

Support Ltq Engineering to Shut Down a Partly Qantas-owned Aircraft Maintenance Company Will Shut Its Doors in Septem-ber, Leaving 164 Melbourne-based Workers Out of a Job.

Ltq Engineering, a Joint Venture Between Qantas and Lufthansa Technik, Has Confirmed That It Would Close Down, Citing a Lack of Demand for Engine Overhauls. The Company Serviced Cfm56 Engines for Qantas’s 737 Fleet but Had Struggled to Secure Business From Other Airlines.

“reduced Regional Demand, Tough International Competi-tion and More Reliable New Generation Engines Have Directly Impacted the Viability of the Business,” Ltq Chairman and Lufthansa Technik Chief Ex-ecutive August Wilhelm Hen-ningsen Said in a Statement.

“simply Put, Ltq Does Not Have the Scale of en-gine Maintenance Work to Be Competitive. ” Ltq Said That Lufthansa Had Earlier Advised Qantas That It Could Not Continue to Invest in the Loss-making Facility. The Company Said All Employees Would Receive Full Redundancy Packages and Assistance Finding a New Job.

The Closure Comes on the Heels of Qantas’s Decision to Close Its Aircraft Mainte-nance Facility at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

Forums to Promote Aviation Careers

the Forecasted Shortage of Skilled Aviation and Aero-space Workers Will Take Centre Stage in a Series of Forums Held Around the Country Over the Coming Months.

The Forums, Sponsored by the Aerospace Maritime and Defence Foundation of Aus-tralia (Amdfa), Are Designed to Promote Careers in Those Fields by Pitching Them to Secondary School Teachers and Career Advisors. The Forums Also Include Hands-on Programs for Students in Years 9-12.

Amdfa Ceo Ian Hon-nery Said Matching Skills With Demand Will Be a Major Chal-lenge for the Aviation Industry.

“these Forums Are an Oppor-tunity for Teachers, Career Pro-fessionals and Students to Learn More About the Career Paths and Training Opportunities That Are Out There,” Mr Honnery Said.

“we Have to Think Long-term Because Many of These Indus-tries Have Long-lead Times. ” Forums Are Due to Be Held to Coincide With the Raaa Con-vention on the Sunshine Coast in October, the Land Warfare Conference in Melbourne Also in October, the 2013 Avalon Airshow and the 2013 Pacific Maritime Exposition in Sydneyatc & Airspace

ATC & Airspace

Airservices Advances Pilbara Radar Tower

Airservices Has Begun Con-struction of an en Route Radar in the Pilbara Region of Wa.

The Radar, at Parabur-doo, Comes in Response to a Significant Increase in Air Traffic Due to the Min-ing Sector, Airservices Said.

The Radar Will Allow Air Traffic Controllers to Track Aircraft Down to the Ground at Parabur-doo and Will Provide Coverage to Approximately 10,000ft for Traffic Operating in or Out of West Angeles, Barimunyz and Forescue Dave Forrest, and to 15,000ft for Traffic to New-man. It Will Also Provide Some Coverage of Traffic Operat-ing to and From Karratha.

The Installation is Ex-pected to Be Complete by November This Year.

“with So Many Additional Planes Flying to and From the Pilbara Region, Radar Provides Us With the Capability to Know the Exact Location of an Aircraft in Real Time,” Airservices Executive General Nanager of Projects and Engineering Mark Rodwell Said.

“this Enables Us to Make Safer and More Efficient Use of the Airspace, Allow-ing Aircraft to Operate More Efficiently, and Reducing Pilot and Controller Workload to Further Enhance Safety. ”

Air Safety

Distracted A380 Pilot Entered Wrong Takeoff Data – Atsb

a Distracted Qantas A380 Pilot Incorrectly Entered Departure Runway Informa-tion Into the Aircraft’s Flight Management System Ahead of Takeoff From Los Angeles Last October, Resulting in Takeoff Speeds Not Being Displayed on the Aircraft’s Flight Instru-ments as It Rolled Down the Runway, the Atsb Has Found.

As a Result, the Flightcrew Were Forced to Call Out Takeoff Speeds From Their Notes Instead. The Aircraft Lifted Off Success-fully and Proceeded Without Incident to Melbourne.

According to the Atsb Investigation, the Captain Was Distracted While Updating a Runway Change Into the Air-craft’s Fms Prior to Taxiing and Did Not Complete the Procedure Correctly. The Flight Computer Twice Displayed a Message to Check the Takeoff Data Prior to Departure, but in Both Cases the First Officer Cleared the Message, Believing in the First Case That It Was Going to Be Updated and in the Second That It Had Been.

Qantas Said It Had Updated Its Procedures to Avoid Any Misunderstanding of the Required Actions in Case of a Runway Change. The Airline Also Said Airbus Has Updated the Air-craft’s Warning Systems as Part of a Planned Upgrade Program.

The Incident Occurred Aboard A380 Vh-oqe on October 8 2011.

Qf2 Engine Damage Too Extensive to Determine Cause

the Extent of Damage Inside a Qantas 747 Engine That Failed Over Bangkok Last Year is Mak-ing It Difficult for Investigators to Determine What Went Wrong, the Atsb Has Said in an Update to Its Inquiry on the Incident.

Qantas Flight Qf2, Operated by Vh-ojs, Was Eight Min-utes Into Its Climb Away From Bangkok on October 16 When Passengers Heard a Loud Bang and the Sydney-bound Aircraft Began Shaking and Filling With Fumes. Pilots Shut Down Engine Number Three and Were Able to Return Safely to Bangkok After Dumping Some 55 Tonnes of Jet Fuel as the Plane Circled Near the Airport for Nearly an Hour.

Investigators Had Determined That a Turbine Blade Inside the Jet’s Rolls-royce Rb211 Engine Broke Off, Causing “significant Damage” to the Rest of the Engine as It Was Ejected Out the Back. But That Damage Has So Far Made It Impossible for Investigators to Deter-mine Why the Turbine Blade Broke Off in the First Place.

“the Condition of the Blade Fragments Was Such That Identification and Physical Analysis of the Blade Release Mechanism Was Not Possible,” the Atsb Said in Its Update.

Rolls-royce is Also Investi-gating. The Company Says the Bangkok Incident Was the First Time in the Engine’s Nearly 40 Million Hours of Flying That a Blade Had Come Free.