Air New Zealand’s first 787-9 takes off on its first flight. boeing
Preflight
Air New Zealand orders neos as first 787-9 flies
Fleet renewal continues apace at Kiwi flag carrier
Air New Zealand used the annual IATA conference in Qatar in June to announce it is ordering 13 Airbus A320neo airliners, including no fewer than three A321neos which will be used to operate trans-Tasman and Pacific island services from late 2017.
This whole ‘end of the line’ thing is ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse… christopher luxon
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The order for 13 A320neos plus a single standard A320 to join the airline’s domestic fleet was confirmed by Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.
“Today’s announcement is incredibly exciting for Air New Zealand as we continue our unprecedented investment in next generation aircraft and tool the business up for growth,” he said on June 1. “With the announcement of this purchase we can confirm our intention to have an Airbus narrowbody fleet. Operating one narrowbody aircraft type will bring important efficiencies in training, maintenance and operating costs. ” The neos will replace 13 existing A320s used on trans-Tasman and Pacific services on a one-for-one basis, but with at least three of the neos to be the larger A321neo variant, which will seat 38 more passengers than the existing A320s, the order allows for some capacity growth in those markets. Deliveries will begin in late 2017 and continue through into 2019, while the single additional standard A320 will be delivered in 2015.
No engine selection has been announced for the neos, while
The neos will replace 13 existing A320s.
the airline says the “purchase agreement is for a combination of A321neo and A320neo aircraft” and that the “exact mix will be confirmed over time but will be a minimum of three A321neo aircraft. ” Meanwhile, Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 787-9 has made its maiden flight from Boeing’s Everettfactory near Seattle.
The first test flight – known as B1 and conducted by Boeing test pilots – took off from Everett at 1. 45pm local on May 28 and landed three hours and 10 minutes later after reaching 39,000ft and 360kt. The all-black aircraft, which will be registered ZK-NZE, was then to conduct a series of test flights by Boeing and Air New Zealand pilots before being delivered to the airline in July. It is expected to debut on the Auckland to Perth route from October 15. Other planned 787-9 destinations include Shanghai and Tokyo.
Qantas flags flat domestic capacity growth ahead
Is Qantas walking back from its line in the sand?
Qantas has flagged zero domestic growth across both its mainline and Jetstar operations in the first three months of the new financial year in response to market conditions.
Australia’s largest carrier, which has waged a fierce battle in the domestic market with Virgin Australia, made the announcement in its monthly traffic statistics released on May 21.
“In response to changing conditions in the domestic market, the Qantas Group has revised planned capacity additions in the first three months of financial year 2015,” Qantas said.
“As a result of these changes, total domestic capacity growth (comprising Qantas Domestic, QantasLink and Jetstar Domestic) will be zero in each of the first three months of financial year 2015 compared to the prior corresponding period. ” Macquarie Securities analyst Sam Dobson said the move to freeze capacity growth suggested the “capacity war is over … pending VAH’s response”.
“Slower capacity growth should be positive for yields in the medium term, with the cost-out story at QAN increasing momentum,” Dobson wrote in a research note.
Qantas chief executive AlanJoyce said recently the 65 per cent marketshare target had been misinterpreted by the market.
“We have never been focused on … our issue has never been … I think people have misinterpreted where we were with the 65 per cent marketshare,” Joyce told the Macquarie conference on May 8.
“We are focused on making sure Qantas has the frequency and network advantage over Virgin which allows us to maintain our corporate marketshare advantage that we have.
“We want to try and maintain that as it is one of the product features that keeps the corporate market with Qantas. ” Qantas domestic passenger numbers, including QantasLink, fell 3. 2 per cent in April, compared with the prior corresponding period.
Passenger numbers fell 1. 5 per cent across the airline group – comprising the international and domestic operations of both Qantas and Jetstar – in April.
Moreover, Qantas said yields – the industry measure of average airfares per passenger – for the financial year to date were lower than the prior year due to “continued market capacity growth and weak demand”.
Qantas reported a $235 million loss for the six months to December 31 2013, and has announced plans to cut 5,000 jobs, defer aircraft orders and drop underperforming routes in a bid to return to profitability.
Speaking at the opening of the airline’s airport lounge in Sydney on May 21, Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan said capacity adjustments were taking place across the aviation landscape as carriers reacted to market conditions.
“We are seeing markets correcting,” Hogan told reporters.
“It is a cyclical business and when you go through tough times you have to adjust. ” Etihad owns a little over 20 per cent of Virgin Australia.
First RAAF F-35 enters the paintshop
These images of the RAAF’s first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II being towed from the production line to the paint facility were released just before Australian Aviation went to press. The aircraft, dubbed AU-1 and appearing in primer colours, is due to be officially rolled out in late July and delivered to the USAF’s Integrated Training Center at Luke AFB in Arizona later this year.
RAAF declares JASSM fully operational
The RAAF’s AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile (JASSM) has achieved its final operational capability (FOC), Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston has announced.
The weapon – which is built by Lockheed Martin and is also in use by the USAF – was acquired under AIR 5418 to give the RAAF’s classic Hornet fleet a 300km+ stand-off precision strike capability.
“The Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile is now fully in service and is an extremely capable, long-range missile that meets the future requirements of Air Force,” Senator Johnston said. “Successful JASSM integration forms a key piece of the strike capability and ensures that Air Force can meet future operational demands. ” Chief of Air Force, AIRMSHL Geoff Brown added: “This is a great achievement for Air Force and is a major milestone for our air combat capability. This long-range, highly accurate missile can be released far from enemy targets, keeping RAAF aircrew out of harm’s way without compromising mission objectives. ” The low-observable JASSM is operational on USAF B-1B, B-52H and F-16 aircraft, and has a 500kg warhead capable of destroying hardened or high-value targets. After a troubled integration program which saw AIR 5418 placed on the previous Labor government’s Projects of Concern list, the missile achieved an initial operational capability (IOC) in 2011 after a successful operational test and evaluation (OT&E) at Woomera.
More milestones for F-35 program
The F-35C conducted three arrested landings, several touch-and-goes and one ‘bolter’.
The first USAF JSF squadron has received its 26th and final F-35A following the delivery of aircraft AF-45 in early June.
The 58th Fighter Squadron (FS) at Eglin AFB in Florida is the USAF element of the 33rd Fighter Wing’s F-35 Integrated Training Center, and is tasked for training USAF instructor pilots and maintainers on the aircraft.
“We’ve been in a growth mindset for the last few years,” 58th FS commander, LtCol Matt Renbarger said. “We’ve been focused on adapting our training levels to the availability of aircraft as a growing squadron. It’s been exciting to see this mission develop, but we’re more excited to dial-in all of our attention to training our team. We are focusing now on refining our processes and training, improving our tactics, and really optimising our overall program to meet the needs of the Air Force as our airmen move out to other F-35 missions. ” The RAAF’s first F-35A pilot, SQNLDR Andrew Jackson will begin training on the F-35A with the 58th FS at the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the JSF development program continues to gain momentum, with three significant test milestones being achieved on May 27.
An F-35B of the Edwards AFB Integrated Test Force (ITF) conducted a sequential engagement of two manoeuvring air-to-air targets using AIM‑120 AMRAAM missiles over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range airspace in California, the first dual AMRAAM shot from any F-35 variant, and the first live AMRAAM shot from the F-35Bvariant.
Also from the Edwards ITF, an F-35A conducted a 1. 9 hour mission with the first load of Block 3i hardware and software. Block 3i is the next level of capability and is planned to support USAF F-35A IOC in 2016.
And on the east coast, F-35C CF-3 completed an arrested landing at its maximum sink speed to test the aircraft’s landing gear, airframe and arrestment system at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland. The aircraft flew five sorties, building up the maximum sink rate test condition of 21. 4 feet (6. 8m) per second, and conducted three arrested landings, several touch-and-goes and one ‘bolter’. The F-35C’s hook has undergone a re-design after it failed to trap arrestor wires during previous trials.
NSW minister wants airport cap lifted
The NSW government has begun lobbying federal ministers to lift the hourly movement cap at Sydney Airport during peak periods.
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Andrew Stoner says he has spoken to federal Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss regarding the 80 aircraft movements an hour cap at Kingsford Smith.
“In both of those gentlemen you have an abounding [amount] of common sense,” Stoner told the Tourism & Transport Forum’s outlook conference in Sydney on May 23. “The early indications I think are fairly good. ” A maximum of 80 aircraft movements per hour are allowed at Kingsford Smith Airport, which is also hamstrung by a curfew between 11pm and 6am. While Stoner welcomed the move to build a second airport at Badgerys Creek, he said more needed to be done now to improve air services into Sydney.
“When you look at international comparisons on the number of aircraft movements and the distance between aircraft, there’s certainly plenty of scope to have a look at the cap,” Stoner said. “I would personally urge my federal colleagues to have a good look at the curfew as well. I have got plenty of examples of just ridiculous, nonsensical cases that inconveniences not only the industry and its profitability, but also the end users, the passengers. ” Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan, also speaking at the TTF event, said artificial limits such as the cap and curfew were a challenge for airlines. “We have had situations in the past couple of years where the aircraft has taxied out and due to thunderstorms we have had to hold,” Hogan told the conference. “When the thunderstorms cleared because we have actually gone into curfew, we have had to come back into the terminal and deplane those passengers. At other airports in the world in fact you would be given a dispensation to take off. ” In a newspaper column, Truss said a geographically constrained Kingsford Smith airport would cost the economy “dearly” in terms of economic activity and job opportunities. “The claim that Sydney’s airport is operating at about two-thirds of its theoretical capacity is true, however, only if movements are averaged across the entire week,” Truss wrote in The Australian on May 23. “During the crucial weekday peak periods, there is less than 10 per cent spare capacity available and this will soon be used. ”
NG, RMIT to study UAVs
Northrop Grumman has announced it has established a collaboration effort with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University to study the airworthiness requirements for operating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Australia.
The collaboration involves developing solutions for safely and efficiently operating UAS in all airspace environments with a particular focus on larger systems the size of small commercial jets.
The government has provided initial approval for the RAAF to acquire up to seven Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft from about 2020.
UAVs for Navy patrol boats?
The DMO has released an invitation to register interest for a “fully integrated” Navy Unmanned Aerial System (NUAS) to operate from the RAN’s Armidale class patrol boats.
The tender suggests a launch and retrieve fixed-wing system such as the Insitu ScanEagle or the AAI Aerosonde would be suitable.
The Navy has previously expressed interest in operating a NUAS from its patrol boats, and the manufacturer of the vessels, Austal, has displayed models of an Armidale with a ScanEagle launch and retrieve setup at previous Pacific naval expositions.
Government begins talks with Sydney Airport over Badgerys Creek
The Commonwealth and the owners of Kingsford Smith Airport have begun discussions over the size and layout of a proposed second Sydney airport, a Senate estimates hearing heard.
The federal Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has started preliminary talks with Sydney Airport about the proposed new airport at Badgerys Creek. However, the discussions are not part of the formal negotiations over Sydney Airport’s first right of refusal to build and operate a second Sydney airport, the executive director of the Department’s western Sydney unit Brendan McRandle said.
“There is a dialogue occurring with Sydney Airport at the moment,” McRandle told the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee’s estimates hearing in Canberra on May 26. “It is not under the formal consultation part of the process. That’s going to start some weeks or months down the track to initiate that. ” When the Commonwealth sold Sydney Airport in 2002 it included a 30-year first right of refusal to build and operate any second airport within 100km of the existing terminals at Mascot. Under that provision the federal government is required to offer a formal consultation period with Sydney Airport’s owners of not less than five months and not longer than 12 months.
“There has been a very useful dialogue with Sydney Airport at the moment in what is known as the preliminary phase of the formal consultation process,” McRandle said. “That will include elements around how the process will operate and broad agreement about the parameters and expectations about the kind of work and sequence of work that will occur. The consultation phase will focus on a number of issues – the airport layout, including elements like the way the transport system will connect to it, the size and nature of the first-stage operation of the airport and the economic and commercial aspects. ” At Sydney Airport’s annual general meeting on May 15, chairman Max Moore-Wilton said the first right of refusal was very valuable and discussions with the government would occur on a good faith basis.
The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee also heard the NSW government had started reserving land for a rail link to the new airport. The Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development Mike Mrdak said his department had done some planning work relating to rail connections through the airport site.
“We have certainly looked at the issue of what happens with the rail link in terms of the airport design,” Mrdak said. “We are engaging in discussions with New South Wales officials in relation to their corridor reservation process. ” The federal government has allocated $77. 8 million over the next four years for planning and development of the second airport project. But, the Abbott government has also ruled out providing any funding support to build a rail link to the Badgerys Creek airport.
Cobham granted hydrographic survey support contract extension
Cobham Aviation Services has been awarded a five-year contract extension by Fugro LADS to support its hydrographic survey services for the Royal Australian Navy.
Under the extension, Cobham will continue to support Fugro in providing the airborne laser bathymetry (ALB) system to survey shorelines, tides, currents, and sea floors.
“We have significant experience operating and maintaining fit for purpose special mission platforms and look forward to continuing to work in synchrony with Fugro with whom we have a long-term relationship,” Darren Moncrieff, general manager special mission, Cobham Aviation Services said. . “Cobham had been supporting Fugro’s hydrographic survey services since 1998. ” The LADS system is based on a Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft which Cobham provides maintenance and other support services for when operating in the region.
787 certified for 330-minute ETOPS, new options for Qantas?
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved additional extended operations (ETOPS) for the Boeing 787 to allow it to be operated up to 330 minutes in the event of an engine failure from a suitable landing field.
The certification expands upon the 787’s current 180-minute ETOPS limit which was granted when the type entered service in 2011. The certification opens up a raft of new routes over water or remote land masses if operating airlines receive approval from their own regulatory agencies.
“Our customers are eager to expand their 787 operations,” Boeing’s vice president and general manager 787 program, Larry Loftis said. “We’re delighted that this capability, which was designed intothe aircraft from the very beginning, has been certified. ” Boeing has sold at least 1,030 787s to 60 customers, and has delivered 146 787s to 19 customers.
The 330-minute ETOPS clearance opens up economical operations by the twinjet on current Qantas long-haul routes such as Sydney-Santiago and Sydney-Johannesburg, Boeing has confirmed, allowing Qantas to potentially replace the four-engined 747-400s it currently uses on these services with the 787.
“The Sydney-Santiago route is not possible with 180-minute ETOPS,” a Boeing spokesperson advised Australian Aviation. “It can sometimes be flown with 240-minute ETOPS with limitations that make it impractical. For example, the route is only possible when Easter Island was available for landings, which isn’t always the case. Once an airline gets ETOPS operational approval for 330 minutes, which occurs separately from airplane certification, the route becomes much more direct, the limitations are removed, and therefore the route is more practical and reliable. ” Continued the spokesperson: “The Sydney-Johannesburg route was possible with a 787 prior to the 330-minute ETOPS approval, but with very indirect routing that made it impractical. The additional ETOPS capability makes this a much more viable route. The 787 flight from Johannesburg to Sydney is about four hours shorter as a 330-minute operation than it would be as a 180-minute operation. ” The 330-minute ETOPS clearance would also allow the 787 to operate more efficient Sydney-Dallas/Fort Worth routings.
While Qantas cancelled a firm order for 35 787-9s back in 2012, the Australian airline still holds options and purchase rights on up to 50 787s (either -8 or -9 models), as well as the 14 787-8s currently being delivered to low-cost carrier subsidiary Jetstar. Those options need to be exercised from 2015, although Qantas has indicated it won’t do so until its international operations are restored to profitability.
Boeing’s 777 already has 330-minute ETOPS approval, while Airbus ultimately aims to offer its A350 twin with 420-minute ETOPS.
G650ER drops in on Melbourne
Gulfstream launches extended range G650
Gulfstream Aerospace has revealed that its new longerrange G650ER development of its hot-selling G650 business jet, announced at EBACE in May, visited Melbourne as part of two recordbreaking high-speed validation flights.
Dassault launches new flagship Falcon 8X
Dassault Aviation has used the 2014 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva to launch its Falcon 8X, the largest and longest-ranging of its Falcon family of business jets.
The Falcon 8X, a mildly stretched development of the 7X, will feature a range of 6,450nm (11,945km) at Mach 0. 8, meaning in a typical eight passenger and three crew configuration, the aircraft can operate on city pairs such as Beijing-Los Angeles, Hong Kong-London, London-Cape Town, Mumbai-Sydney, and Moscow-Los Angeles. Its 13m long cabin – the 8X will be stretched by 1. 1m over the 7X – is available in up to 30 different configurations.
The Falcon 8X will be powered by the P&WC PW307D, a five per cent more powerful version of the Falcon 7X’s PW307A. The aircraft also promises very good field performance due to its high angle approach and low approach speed capabilities, allowing it to operate into airports such as London City and Aspen.
Construction of the first Falcon 8X development aircraft is already underway, with first flight expected in early 2015. Certification and first deliveries are due to start by the end of 2016.
The new G650ER is designed to be able to fly 7,500nm (13,890km) at Mach 0. 85, or 6,400nm (11,853km) at Mach 0. 90, an increase of up to 500nm (925km) over the standard G650, and its capabilities were recently demonstrated when a test aircraft set the two unofficial world speed records in early March.
The first flight saw development aircraft N650GD fly 6,947nm (12,866km) from Los Angeles to Melbourne at an average speed of Mach 0. 86. Gulfstream says the flight, despite headwinds of up to 13kt, took 14 hours and 58 minutes. The aircraft then repositioned to Hong Kong, from where it flew 7,494nm (13,879km) to Teterboro, New Jersey at an average speed of Mach 0. 865. The two flights have been submitted to the US National Aeronautic Association for validation before in turn being submitted to the Fédération Aéronautique International for confirmation as world records.
The G650ER shares the same cabin, avionics and other key systems with the G650 but will offer a 1,815kg increase in fuel capacity and MTOW, and is currently undergoing Federal Aviation Administration certification. Current G650 owners and order-holders will be able to upgrade their original G650 to a G650ER beginning in the first quarter of 2015.
“It’s the only business aircraft in the world capable of travelling 7,500nm,” senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Gulfstream, Scott Neal said. “This opens up significant nonstop city pairs, including New York to Hong Kong, Dallas to Dubai and San Francisco to Delhi. G650ER owners in Dubai will be able to reach most of the contiguous United States.
From Hong Kong, operators can connect with the eastern seaboard of the United States. ”
Study finds mallee tree viable source of biofuel
Jetstar enters second decade
jetstar & victor pody
From the Boeing 717 that took off as JQ371 from Newcastle bound for Melbourne 10 years ago, Jetstar’s distinctive bright orange star has become a fixture over Australian skies.
Jetstar celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 25 with a party at its maintenance hangar in Melbourne, where some of the crew on that first flight in 2004 mingled with staff including the airline’s chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka and Qantas group chief executive Alan Joyce, who was Jetstar’s first CEO.
That initial route has now expanded to include operations not only around Australia but also New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, with the proposed Jetstar Hong Kong awaiting regulatory approval.
The airline, headquartered in Melbourne, now flies to 65 destinations in 18 countries with a fleet of 116 aircraft – 99 Airbus A320s, six A321s, seven A330s and four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary, Jetstar A320 VH-VGF has been repainted with a special bright orange livery that reverses Jetstar’s original design. It features a white star on the tail, while on the fuselage are the titles “Low fares forever” on the right side and “#jetstargeneration” on the left (see Traffic this issue).
In 2004, Jetstar had about 700 staff and flew 315,000 people to 14 destinations around Australia.
As the airline group enters its second decade, its 7,000-strong workforce is on track to fly 27 million passengers this year, bringing the total passengers carried to more than 140 million.
“Of the 700 team members who started with us on the first day of operations, I am delighted that more than half are still with us, 10 years on,” Hrdlicka said on Sunday.
“Jetstar is a true Australian success story… It has been an amazing journey – and we believe the best is yet to come. ”
Aviation fuel sustainably produced from the mallee tree in Western Australia could begin powering jet aircraft by 2021 and create new opportunities for farmers, a study says.
The Future Farm Industries Cooperative Centre (CRC) study found farmed production of mallee for aviation biofuel was a significant, potential enterprise for the agricultural sector that could deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.
“However, it will not be so big that it is likely to displace food (eg wheat, canola, sheep meat) and other fibre (eg wool) production, which are the major commodities of Australian dryland agriculture,” the report said.
CRC research director John McGrath said production of the mallee tree for aviation biofuel would support other farming activity.
“Mallee integrates well with farm crop and livestock operations and can protect and enhance biodiversity, and contributing to rebalancing water tables,” Dr McGrath said in a statement.
The two-year study was commissioned by Airbus and included local partners such as Virgin Australia and other renewable energy players.
While the current cost of aviation biofuel from mallee was too high and thus uncompetitive with Jet A1, the report found the gap was narrowing.
“Mallee biomass cost could be competitive by the 2021 start date for this venture,” the report said.
“Further technological innovation and productivity gains can be reasonably assumed, and capital and operating costs will reduce as the value chain scales up to other regions. ” The report said the cost of aviation biofuel could reduce from $1. 70 a litre currently to somewhere between $0. 80-$1. 10 a litre.
Meanwhile, petroleum-based jet fuel could increase from $0. 80 a litre to $1. 50 a litre, given rising oil prices.
“When biojet is competitive with fossil jet fuel the mallee biojet supply will be profitable and the biomass price offered to farmers will be attractive enough to see as much as 500,000 hectares planted to mallee belts across Australia,” the report said.
“This would supply five per cent of Australia’s aviation fuel. ” Renewable Oil Corporation intended to build biofuel processing plants in WA, with a commercial prototype likely to be located near plantation forest residue areas while mallee supply was developed in the nearby farming region, the report said.
A second fully commercial plant was likely to be at Katanning in the Great Southern region of WA.
The first regional plant was expected to employ 40 people and bring about $30 million of turnover. This could rise tenfold as production scaled up, the report said.
Aviation biofuel from mallee would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent compared with Jet A1.
Study finds mallee tree viable source of biofuel SCROLL
“End of the line” no excuse for Pacific rim player Air NZ
Using geography as an excuse for poor performance is like a child saying the dog ate my homework – it just does not stand up.
So says Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon, who believes the Kiwi flag carrier’s location is far from a hinderance to operating a profitable airline.
Rather, the Pacific rim represented a huge opportunity for Air NZ, given the massive rise of the middle class in countries such as China and India.
“I think this whole ‘end of the line’ thing is ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse sort of in this part of the world really to be brutally honest,” Luxon told the Tourism Transport Forum’s Outlook conference in Sydney on May 23.
“We genuinely sit here, sitting in Australasia, saying ‘there is massive opportunity in that Pacific rim’. ” Air NZ is forecasting sales growth of between five and seven per cent a year over the next five years alongside a three per cent reduction in costs, Luxon said.
It plans to spend NZ$2 billion taking delivery of 22 new aircraft over the next three years, is building new airport lounges in Sydney and Auckland, as well as developing new markets alongside alliance partners such as Virgin Australia, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines.
The company reported a net profit of NZ$140 million for the six months to December 31 2013, up 40 per cent from the prior corresponding period.
Luxon said Air NZ’s investment in Virgin Australia – the carrier is Virgin’s largest shareholder at 24. 46 per cent behind Singapore Airlines (22. 17 per cent) and Etihad Airways (21. 24 per cent) – was part of being a “Pacific rim player”.
“We want to have strength and relevance within that region and we want our assets exposed to a portfolio of markets across that region,” he said.
Luxon said the transformation of Virgin under chief executive John Borghetti had delivered a lot more choice in the “large, adjacent and growing” Australian domestic market.
“We are very big fans of the strategy. ” Luxon said the alliance between Virgin and Air NZ, which began in 2011, represented about 55 per cent of the trans-Tasman market.
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