LATAM touches down in Melbourne

The aircraft, which features 30 business class and 54 extra legroom economy and 220 economy seats for a total of 304, was on the ground for about two and a half hours before operating the reciprocal LA804 to Santiago.

Melbourne is LATAM’s third destination in Oceania. The oneworld alliance member and Qantas codeshare partner also operates a daily Sydney- Auckland-Santiago service with the Dreamliner.

While its Sydney flight takes off at lunchtime, Melbourne has been scheduled an evening departure, which LATAM director of business development in Victoria Nicholas Aquilina says gives travellers more flexibility when planning their travels to South America.

“The concern from Adelaide or Melbourne people arriving into Sydney is if there is any delay,” Aquilina told Australian Aviation in an interview.

“With this flight it provides that option, you’ve got all day to get to Melbourne.”

Announced in December 2016, LATAM’s Melbourne-Santiago flight is the only nonstop link between Melbourne and South America. In addition to transiting via Sydney, Air New Zealand has been targeting Australian travellers heading to the Americas, where it serves Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and Houston, with attractive fares and widebody to widebody connections via its Auckland hub.

Aquilina said bookings on LATAM’s new Melbourne flight have tracked in line with expectations since the launch, especially in terms of bookings from corporate travellers.

“That’s one of the drivers with Melbourne-Santiago. There was that demand, specifically from government and corporate,” he said.

The new service is supported by a codeshare arrangement with Qantas, where the Australian carrier has added its QF airline code on LATAM’s Melbourne- Santiago service. Qantas already codeshares on LATAM’s Sydney- Auckland-Santiago flight.

LATAM also adds its LA airline code on Qantas’s nonstop Sydney-Santiago flight, which runs between three and five times a week, depending on the time of the year.

“They will buy block seats from our utilisation and vice versa,” Aquilina explained.

“We buy block seats on the Qantas-operated flight as well. The Melbourne-Santiago flight is set up now that way.”

LATAM also has codeshare arrangements with Qantas and Jetstar on domestic services to provide passenger feed for its Flights.

Aquilina said Air New Zealand’s Auckland-Buenos Aires service, as well as promotional activity to boost awareness in the market had led to an increase in passenger numbers.

However, this had come at the expense of yields.

“You’ve seen in the past flights were around that $1,800 mark at a good price, whereas now you’re getting prices at $1,000 and that’s definitely converting people that maybe would have hesitated flying over whereas now from a pricing perspective it removes that barrier,” Aquilina said.

“The yields have been dropping. We’ve seen obviously more competition in the market, the fares dropping but that has increased the amount of occupancy going across into South America.”

Aquilina said Peru (with the historic Machu Piccu as the major drawcard) was the most popular destination for Australians travelling on LATAM to South America, followed by Chile, Brazil and Colombia.

There was also a growing number of travellers choosing to visit popular Central American destinations such as Havana in Cuba, via Santiago.

Aquilina said the LA804’s evening arrival into Santiago from Melbourne allowed for short, same-day connections to Lima (Peru), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Emirates dropping Brisbane and Melbourne to Auckland services

Qantas to pick up trans-Tasman flying

Emirates says it is further reducing trans-Tasman services in favour of more Qantas-operated flights as part of the pair’s global Alliance.

The airline will cease daily Melbourne-Auckland and Brisbane-Auckland flights by March 2018, leaving Sydney- Christchurch as its only trans- Tasman service, having dropped Sydney-Auckland in June.

In their place will be seven more Qantas flights a week on the Melbourne route, and two additional services on the Brisbane route, the two carriers said in a joint-statement on Wednesday.

The move represents a capacity reduction on the Tasman given Qantas operates a mix of Boeing 737-800s and Airbus A330s on its Australia-New Zealand services, which have fewer seats than Emirates’ A380 flights.

Emirates currently operates an Airbus A380 Auckland-Dubai nonstop service, the secondlongest scheduled airline flight in the world by distance, and was “evaluating potential new direct services between New Zealand and Dubai”.

Further, the airline said the end of its own flights between Auckland and Australia would allow for schedule changes that provided a “better spread of departure times” on services to and from its Dubai hub.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the changes reflected “customer demand, new aircraft technology and our respective network strengths”.

“The premise of the partnership has always been that we could serve our customers better together. That’s certainly been true for the past five years and now we’re evolving our joint network so we can serve them even better for the next five,” Joyce said in a Statement.

The changes are part of the pair’s application to authorities in Australia and New Zealand to extend the alliance that was first struck in 2013 for a further five years, and which also cover previously announced return to Sydney-Singapore-London Heathrow flights and the start of Melbourne-Perth-London Heathrow Boeing 787-9 services.

“Reauthorisation of the partnership will allow us to leverage our combined network strengths to offer customers even more flight choices and reciprocal benefits for our millions of frequent flyer members,” Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said.

That pullback in seats should be further good news for Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia, who have a joint-venture on trans- Tasman routes.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon noted recently the airline’s trans-Tasman network had been “very challenged for about a year” and suffered a weak 2016/17 first half due to increased competitive capacity and a decline in connecting passengers because of new direct services to New Zealand. However, Luxon there have been some improvements since then, albeit off a low base.

In addition to the cuts from Emirates, some fifth-freedom operators have also decided to pull out of the trans-Tasman market. China Airlines is due to end its Sydney to Christchurch service at the end of October, with Sydney-Auckland to wind up at the start of December.

And Philippine Airlines is switching its Manila-Cairns- Auckland rotation in favour of a nonstop Manila-Auckland offering from December 6.

Virgin Australia chair says good progress being made on transformation program

Virgin Australia chairman Elizabeth Bryan says the airline group’s three-year transformation program is yielding positive results and tracking ahead of schedule.

Writing in the company’s annual report, Bryan said Virgin Australia’s “Better Business” program and focus on improving its financial base would “help us to deliver sustainable profitability, and ultimately, returns to all of our Shareholders”.

Virgin Australia was targeting $350 million in annual savings by the end of 2018/19, which was $50 million above the $300 million initial target when it was unveiled a year ago.

“The business has also made good progress in implementing the Better Business program of capital and operational initiatives and we now expect to deliver higher cash flow savings than originally targeted,” Bryan told shareholders in the annual report, published on September 21.

In August, Virgin Australia reported a statutory after tax loss of $220.3 million for the 12 months to June 30 2017, an improvement from a loss of $260.9 million in the prior corresponding period.

The airline group said at the time the result was impacted by a subdued domestic market and oneoff charges as its fleet on 18 Embraer E190 regional jets and eight ATR turboprops were withdrawn.

On a more positive note, it said 2016/17 was the first positive free cash flow result since 2011/12, while its reported cash balance at June 30 2017 was the highest in its history.

“As we move through the Better Business program, these costs will subside and the company will benefit from the ongoing, sustainable savings that the program is on track to deliver,” she said.

Bryan said the focus for 2017/18 would remain on “improving our cost base, building strength in the balance sheet and growing revenue”.

“Improving cash, debt and leverage outcomes will remain a key focus and further balance sheet improvements are expected to be delivered,” Bryan said.

“In addition, the business will work to keep growing revenue. This will be done by leveraging the benefits of our strong fleet, network and product to seize growth opportunities and consolidate our market position.”

Air New Zealand pleased with first quarter trading

Air New Zealand says it has been a “pleasing” start to the current financial year as it aims to improve on its 2016/17 earnings results. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Auckland on September 28, Air New Zealand chairman Tony Carter said there was reason to be optimistic about the year ahead “across many of the regions where we fly”.

“We have been pleased with our performance in the first quarter of trading,” Carter told shareholders in prepared remarks.

“At the 2017 annual results announcement, we stated we are aiming to improve upon 2017 earnings. That outlook stated an assumed average jet fuel price of 60 dollar US per barrel.

“Whilst we saw jet fuel trading within that level for the first two months of the year, it is currently trading higher and has been volatile over the recent weeks.”

The airline posted net profit of NZ$382 million (A$351 million) for the 12 months to June 30 2017, down 17.5 per cent from NZ$463 million (A$426 million) in the prior corresponding period. It was the second highest result in its history. Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon reaffirmed capacity guidance for the year ahead, with the whole network expected to expand by between four and six per cent.

Capacity on trans-Tasman routes was forecast to expand up to five per cent in 2017/18, as it upgauged some routes to larger aircraft such as Adelaide-Auckland, which will receive Boeing 787-9 services over summer.Long-haul capacity was tipped to rise three to five per cent, mainly due to new flights to Tokyo Haneda that commenced in July, while Pacific Islands flying would grow 15-20 per cent due to expansion into Honolulu and Bali.

Meanwhile, domestic capacity would rise four to six per cent as it tapped into the popularity of Queenstown as a tourist destination and added more jet services.

“I am very optimistic about the market dynamics today compared to where we stood a year ago facing an unprecedented level of competition in our 77‐year history,” Luxon told shareholders.“From an industry perspective, we feel good about the rational capacity decisions we have observed over the past four to six months from some of our Competitors.

“Both American carriers have decided to cease flying to New Zealand over the 2018 winter season. We have seen some carriers pull off trans‐Tasman routes, and in domestic New Zealand, we have seen our competitor cut some of their regional services.

Carter also reiterated previous guidance that the fuel shortages experienced at Auckland Airport in September due to a broken pipeline would not have a material impact on the 2017/18 result.

“Based upon what we know today, we do not anticipate a material impact to our 2018 earnings from this incident,” he Said.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir John Key was elected to the airline’s board at the AGM, while Linda Jenkinson was reelected. In other Air New Zealand news, the airline took delivery of the first of four Boeing 787-9s featuring a premium-heavy configuration on October 8.

The four 787-9s – a second will follow later this financial year with two more to come in 2018/19 – will have 20 per cent more premium seats with the cabin featuring what the airline has called its ‘Code 2’ configuration comprising 27 seats in business, 33 in premium economy and 215 in economy for a total of 275.

Air New Zealand’s first nine 787-9s have 302 seats spread across 18 in business, 21 in premium economy and 263 in economy.

Tigerair Australia 737s to get more seats

Tigerair Australia will add an extra six seats to its Boeing 737-800s with the installation of new slimline seats.

The cabin reconfiguration program with the leather seats from Rockwell Collins Interior Systems (formerly B/E Aerospace) is due to begin in March 2018.

As a result, the seat count on the airline’s 737-800s will increase to 186, from 180 currently. The cabin layout includes five rows of extra legroom seats at the front of the aircraft that are available for an extra Fee.

Tigerair said there would be “no impact on passenger and crew space and comfort”, with seat pitch, the size of the galley and restrooms remaining the same.

The move will ensure Tigerair maintains parity with local LCC rival Jetstar in the Australian domestic market.

In May, Jetstar said it would boost the capacity on 43 Australia and New Zealand-based A320 narrowbodies by six seats to 186 seats by the end of 2018.

At the time Jetstar said the use of new slimline Recaro seats and the Zodiac Aerospace Space Flex version two lavatory and galley module, which allows for the removal of the existing rear lavatories, had opened up the additional space for an extra row of seats.

The Virgin Australia-owned low-cost carrier (LCC) is in the midst of a three-year transition from Airbus A320s, which have 180 seats, to the Boeing narrowbody that is due to be completed in 2019.

Currently, Tigerair has three 737s in its fleet alongside 14 A320s.

While the A320s are slated for removal, Tigerair said it would begin installing equipment to enable passengers to watch movies and television programs streamed to their own devices across all its aircraft over the coming weeks.

The airline said it had signed a content deal with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (TCFF) and Fox Networks Group (FNG), while the streaming technology is being supplied by ViaSat.

Passengers would be able to watch movies and other programs via the Tigerair Australia app on their mobile device or on laptops for a fee, with movies costing $6 and television shows $2. There will also be some free content.

Tigerair said it would be the only Australian LCC to offer inflight entertainment across its entire domestic fleet once the installation program was complete.

“The planned partnership with Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Networks Group opens up a new world of entertainment for our customers, whilst our new leather, slimline seats will in my view, provide the most comfortable low-cost economy seats in the sky,” Tigerair Australia commercial director Andrew Maister said.

“These products complement each other really well, enabling our customers to enjoy a meal/drink and superior entertainment product inflight more comfortably than ever before.”

RAAF C-17A completes Antarctic cargo air drop

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has conducted an air-to-air refuelling over the sub-Antarctic region for the first time to deliver about 10,500kg of cargo to researchers at Australia’s Davis Research Station.

A RAAF C-17A Globemaster conducted the air drop on September 20, taking off from Melbourne Avalon Airport carrying fresh food such as carrots, lemons and potatoes, as well as medical supplies and mail, to the team of 17 that has spent the past six months at the station.

Halfway through the journey to Antarctica, it was refuelled by a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport while flying over the Southern Ocean, as Flight Lieutenant Justin McFadden explained on the Australian Antarctic Division website.

“We refuelled about three hours into the flight at an altitude of 22,000 feet and a speed of 500 kilometres per hour,” said FLTLT McFadden, who captained the C-17A.

“This allowed us to continue the remaining four hours to Davis for the airdrop and return to Hobart.

“Nearing the drop zone, we descended to 5,000 feet and slowed to about 270 kilometres per hour, before deploying 15 pallets of cargo in padded containers, each weighing about 700kg.”

The Australian Antarctic Division said the mid-air refuelling capability would allow airdrop supplies to be made year-round if required to all of its Antarctic Research Stations and deep into the interior of Antarctica.

“It’s hoped, in the future, this capability will allow us to preposition equipment and supplies for station and science projects before the shipping season starts, so it’s all ready to go when the first summer expeditioners arrive,” Australian Antarctic Division future concepts manager Matt Filipowski said.

VA to reduce LA flights as 777s undergo maintenance

Virgin Australia is offering a reduced schedule on its flights between Australia and Los Angeles in late 2017 and early 2018 as its Boeing 777‑300ERs undergo scheduled Maintenance.

There will be three fewer flights a week under the temporary schedule which will be in operation during a twomonth period from October 17 to December 5, and again from February 2 to March 23 2018.

The airline’s daily VA1/2 Sydney-Los Angeles rotation will be cut to five flights a week, while the VA23/24 Melbourne- Los Angeles will drop to four flights per week, compared with five currently. Brisbane- Los Angeles will remain at six flights a week, Virgin said on October 5.

“We have had to cancel some Los Angeles flights as heavy maintenance is required on our Boeing 777 aircraft fleet,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement.

“We have worked to minimise the disruption to our customers and will be in touch with those affected to provide reaccommodation options.”

The airline’s fleet of five 777‑300ER widebodies are deployed only on flights between Australia and Los Angeles.

In previous years, the airline opted to sacrifice its three times weekly flight to Abu Dhabi when its big Boeing twins were due for extended maintenance checks or when undergoing cabin upgrades. However, that is no longer an option since Virgin Australia dropped Sydney-Abu Dhabi 777-300ER flights in February 2017.

Virgin Australia’s trans- Pacific alliance partner Delta Air Lines operates a daily Sydney-Los Angeles service with Boeing 777-200LR equipment.

Adelaide Airport lifts net profit amid growth in international passengers

Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL) has reaped the rewards of increased international flights to lift revenue and markedly boost net profit for 2016/17.

The company said in its annual report released on October 9 net profit for the 12 months to June 30 2017 soared to $48.5 million, easily eclipsing the previous year’s $28.6 million. Revenue improved six per cent to $199.2 million.

In addition to the growth in international flights, the annual report noted a rise in valuations for its investment properties also played a significant role in the Improvement.

International passenger traffic was the stand-out performer, boosted by the start of direct services into Adelaide by Qatar Airways in May 2016, and China Southern in December that year.

International passenger numbers grew by 11 per cent, or about 50,000, to 952,000, and Adelaide Airport chairman Rob Chapman said there was “a good chance we will reach the 1 million mark in the next 12 months”.

Adelaide had the fastest-growing international passenger numbers in the country, he said.

Total passenger traffic exceeded eight million for the first time, reaching 8.09 million for the year, although domestic traffic rose only 1.5 per cent and regional traffic declined, with regional capacity falling 1.8 per cent over the year. In May, Sharp Airlines withdrew its Adelaide-Port Augusta services.

The impending start of QantasLink services from Adelaide and Melbourne to Kangaroo Island was one positive in what has been a difficult regional market in the state.

Chapman said other positives for continued growth included the successful start of direct services between Adelaide and Nadi by Fiji Airways in June, the October 26 start of the seasonal introduction of Boeing 787 services to Auckland by Air New Zealand, replacing Airbus A320s on the route, and plans by Virgin Australia, Cathay Pacific and Qatar to expand existing services.

Meanwhile, Chapman said planning and design work was underway for an expansion of the passenger terminal to include a new international gate and additional retail outlets.

And the $50 million, 165-room Atura hotel project, to be connected to the terminal check-in area by a walkway, was on track to open in late 2018, providing an important new facility for travellers.

The airport lost its Masters hardware outlet, as Woolworths closed the loss-making business, but gained an Aldi supermarket and is signing up a Kennards Self-Storage facility on airport land to further expand the property Business.

And work has been completed on the strengthening and widening of key taxiways to accommodate new, larger aircraft.

AAL managing director Mark Young said the advent of new airlines and destinations had boosted international traffic and opened new business and tourism Opportunities.

Domestically, the airport had gained “incremental” capacity increases, while Jetstar had opened new routes from Adelaide to the Sunshine Coast and Avalon.

The airport continued to hold discussions with carriers to assess business development opportunities, he said.

Airport management has said previously that, having achieved the ambition of gaining direct services into China, the US West Coast was the next major priority.

The annual report shows showed that, on the revenue front, aeronautic activities accounted for 51 per cent of income at $101.8 million, while commercial trading accounted for 26 per cent at $49.4 million and investment property 23 per cent at $45.3 million.

The airport company increased the fair value of its properties by $25.7 million, which took the pretax profit up from $40.3 million to $69.4 million. The latest rise compared with a figure of $16.7 million in the prior corresponding Period.

The airport’s operating activities produced a positive cash flow of $52.9 million, up from $37.5 million in the previous year, while total assets edged up to $1.18 Billion.

AAL reduced its special dividend to shareholders – mostly superannuation groups – from $45 million to $20 million, but held its preference share payout to $21.6 million.

First Qantas 787-9 takes flight

First Qantas 787-9 takes flight Qantas’s first Boeing 787-9 has undertaken its maiden flight.

Operating as flight BOE269, the aircraft, sporting registration VH-ZNA, took off from Paine Field at Boeing’s Everett facility north of Seattle at about 1120 on Thursday September 29 and landed at Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake about 90 minutes later, according to flight tracking website Flightaware.

The aircraft was on the ground for about 20 minutes before making the 35-minute return trip to Everett.

VH-ZNA was expected to arrive in Sydney at the ends of its delivery flight on the morning of Friday, October 20.

The aircraft, the first of eight 787-9s on firm order, will first enter service on the Qantas domestic network while the airline gains experience operating the type before it is deployed on Melbourne- Los Angeles flights in December. Nonstop Perth-London flights begin next March.

Route news

Air New Zealand plans third year of Ho Chi Minh City seasonal flights in 2018

Air New Zealand has scheduled a third year of seasonal flying to Ho Chi Minh City for 2018.

The Star Alliance member commenced flights to Ho Chi Minh City in 2016, when it operated three flights a week with the now-retired Boeing 767-300ER between June and October.

Those seasonal flights returned in 2017, with a reduced schedule of two flights a week that commenced on June 24 with Boeing 787-9s and due to end on October 25.

On September 25, Air New Zealand said it would again return to Vietnam in 2018, citing strong customer demand. It is the only airline offering nonstop flights between New Zealand and Vietnam. The 2018 schedule features two flights a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays with the 787-9, again from June to October.

Air China plans Brisbane-Beijing service

Brisbane will have a new nonstop flight to China from December when Air China commences flights from Beijing to the Queensland capital.

Air China plans to operate four flights a week between Brisbane and Beijing beginning December 11 with Airbus A330‑200 equipment.

Brisbane Airport said in a statement the new route was established in partnership with the state government and local tourism Bodies.

The Queensland capital will be Air China’s third destination in Australia. The Star Alliance member currently flies from Melbourne to Beijing and Shanghai, as well as from Sydney to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

By the time Air China’s inaugural service touches down, Brisbane will have four Chinese carriers offering nonstop flights to the mainland. Currently, Brisbane is served by China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan Airlines.

Taiwanese carriers China Airlines and EVA also fly to Brisbane, as does Hong Kongbased Cathay Pacific.

Tigerair launches Hobart-Gold Coast flights

Hobart will have a new nonstop link to Queensland from December when Tigerair Australia begins flights to the Gold Coast. The four times weekly Hobart-Gold Coast offering takes off from December 7 2017, Tigerair said on September 25.

The Virgin Australia-owned low-cost carrier (LCC) will be the only airline flying nonstop between Hobart and the Gold Coast.

The Tigerair service will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and operate as a morning departure from Hobart, arriving on the Gold Coast at 1020. The return flight departs Gold Coast at 1050, arriving in the Tasmanian capital in midafternoon.

Currently, Qantas’s LCC unit Jetstar, as well as Virgin Australia, offer nonstop flights from Hobart to nearby Brisbane.

Meanwhile, Tigerair said it would add up to four additional weekly Melbourne-Hobart flights to its schedule from December. The airline currently operates up to eight flights a week on the route, according to its website.

Sydney Airport names new chief executive

Sydney Airport has named a long-time General Electric executive as its new chief executive, replacing Kerrie Mather.

The company has announced Geoff Culbert, an Australian, will commence as its chief executive by the end of January 2018.

Mather will continue in the role of chief executive until Culbert’s arrival, Sydney Airport said on September 26.

Currently, Culbert is president and chief executive of GE for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, a position he has held since 2014. The company has businesses in the oil and gas, power and water, aviation, healthcare, transportation and lighting industries in this part of the World.

The University of Melbourne graduate has worked at GE in various roles since 2002, including as general counsel for GE Capital for Australia and New Zealand and GE Capital Asia based in Japan, according to his profile on the GE Website.

Sydney Airport chairman Trevor Gerber said Culbert was appointed after a “rigorous global search” and would bring extensive commercial and operational experience to the role.

Further, Gerber said the incoming chief executive also had “strong and established relationships with many of Sydney Airport’s key airline and business partners, and across all levels of Government”.

Having led Sydney Airport since 2002, Mather announced she was stepping down in March.

GA, drone reviews to be released by year’s end

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester says the outcomes of separate reviews into the general aviation (GA) sector and use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) – drones – are expected to be known before the end of 2017.

The Minister outlined the timetable for the two reviews at the biennial aviation safety conference Safeskies in Canberra on October 4.

“I expect to release the GA study report before the end of the year,” Chester said in prepared remarks. “Also, by the end of this year CASA will have released its review of drone regulations.”

In October 2016, the federal government announced what it termed as a major study into the general aviation sector in response to the concerns expressed by Industry.

It was conducted by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Regional Economics (BITRE) and was initially due to be completed on June 30, according to the Department’s website.

The Minister has also established a 12-person GA advisory group comprising members from a crosssection of industry, chaired by Royal Flying Doctor Service chief executive Martin Laverty.

“The group is working on their strategic advice as input into the GA study and have come with a positive and constructive approach to tackling the issues facing GA,” Chester said at Safeskies.

Meanwhile, submissions for public comment into the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) discussion paper into commercial and recreational operations of drones closed on September 29.

The discussion paper, published in August, noted there were about 50,000 drones used in this country currently, mostly for sport and recreational purposes.

Along with other aviation regulators around the world, CASA said it too faced the task of maintaining high levels of safety without “unduly constraining commercial opportunities to use a technology capable of a multitude of beneficial humanitarian, economic and recreational Applications”.

Chester said drones were a rapidly growing technology that had the potential to “improve productivity, reduce costs and improve workplace safety” in areas such as agriculture, mining, search and rescue, fire and policing, aerial mapping and scientific research.

“The government is committed to fostering an environment that ensures the safety of drone operators and of other people and property, while facilitating the business opportunities for this sector,” Chester said.

“There is a lot of work being progressed around the globe and Australia’s regulation is at the forefront of this technology

Brisbane Airport unveils solar project

Brisbane Airport plans to cut energy consumption and carbon emissions thanks to 22,000 solar panels being installed between now and August 2018.

The panels will be placed at six sites across the airfield and cover an area of 36,000 square metres. The roof of the international terminal alone will be fitted with 7,133 panels measuring 11,675 square metres, which Brisbane Airport says will be the largest single rooftop solar panel installation at an Australian Airport.

In total, the system will be capable of generating some 9.3 million kilowatt hours a year.

Brisbane Airport general manager for assets Krishan Tangri said the system would supply 18 per cent of the airport’s direct electricity needs.

Further, the carbon offset from the scheme was the equivalent of planting 50,000 trees or taking 1,500 cars off the road each year.

“We are in the enviable position of having thousands of square metre of un-impeded roof space ideal for solar harvesting and, with systems becoming more efficient and more affordable to install, it makes financial sense to invest in this readily available supply of renewable energy to save costs and decrease our carbon footprint,” Tangri said on September 19.

Brisbane Airport said the design of the system was currently underway, with installation expected to start in December. The company said Epho and Shakra Energy were managing the Installation.

Separately, Brisbane Airport will also be host to a two-year trial blending sustainable aviation fuel, or biojet, with traditional jet fuel for use on flights departing Brisbane as part of an initiative with the Queensland Government, fuel supplier Gevo Inc and Virgin Australia.

The Australian carrier, which is coordinating the purchase, supply and blending of the fuels and will use the fuel on its flights departing Brisbane, said in a statement the initiative was the first time in this country that biojet would be supplied through an airport’s regular fuel supply system.

Virgin Australia said biojet would be produced using sustainable sources including crushed sugarcane, molasses, wood waste and agave. Further, it was already being used on Virgin Australia flights departing Los Angeles to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

“This initiative builds on Virgin Australia’s commitment to be a leader in the commercialisation of the sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia,” Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti said on October 3.

“The project announced today is critical to testing the fuel supply chain infrastructure in Australia to ensure that Virgin Australia and Brisbane Airport are ready for the commercial supply of these exciting Fuels.”

Gevo chief executive Patrick Gruber said the initial supply of fuel for the Brisbane Airport initiative would come from its facilities in Texas and Minnesota.

However, Dr Gruber said there would be significant opportunities for production in Queensland. “We believe Queensland offers huge potential for low-cost sugar feedstocks to produce biofuels,” Dr Gruber said.

“It really opened our eyes to Queensland’s potential for sustainable aviation fuels based on Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet technology.”

Canberra “exciting and challenging” – SIA

Singapore Airlines has described its first year of Canberra services as “exciting and challenging”. The airline’s Singapore-Canberra- Wellington flights kicked off on September 20 2016, and are operated by Boeing 777-200s.

The four times a week service marked the return of scheduled international service at Canberra since the short-lived Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) flights to Nadi in 2004.

“The first year has been exciting and challenging and we have established a good base to build on in the second year of operations,” SIA regional vice president Tan Tiow Kor Said.

“Over the next 12 months we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders in the region to promote Canberra as an exciting destination, and the Capital Express as the most convenient option when travelling internationally either to or from the Capital.

“We will also have a focus on increasing the volume and consistency of exports and freight being carried from Canberra to Singapore and Beyond.”

Figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) for June showed SIA carried 4,937 passengers on the Singapore-Canberra route (2,812 inbound and 2,125 outbound) in the Month.

Meanwhile, the BITRE report said there were 1,950 passengers on the Canberra-Wellington (1,106 inbound and 844 outbound) flights.

While seasonality undoubtedly plays a role, the numbers have built up steadily during the first year of the service, for both the Canberra and Wellington markets.

In July, SIA said it would retime the service to open up more connection opportunities, as well as improve the operational efficiency of the route with the aircraft spending less time on the ground in Wellington and departing Singapore later in the Evening.

Canberra will welcome a second foreign carrier in February, when Qatar Airways begins daily flights on a Doha-Sydney-Canberra-Sydney-Doha routing with Boeing 777-300ERs.

Air New Zealand names new CFO

Air New Zealand has promoted Jeff McDowall to chief financial officer following the resignation of Rob McDonald after more than a decade in the job.

The company said McDowall would take up his new post on January 1 2018. He is currently group general manager for corporate finance and has been with the airline for 17 years and worked previously with PwC.

Air New Zealand said in a statement on September 18 McDonald, who has been chief financial officer since 2004, was planning on taking up non-executive directorships following his departure from the airline.

“Jeff is incredibly well placed to build on the outstanding legacy that Rob, who is the longest serving member of my executive team, will leave,” Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said.

Meanwhile, the airline has also promoted from within for its new chief strategy, networks and alliances officer.

Nick Judd, previously group general manager for commercial, took up the new role on October 1. He replaces Stephen Jones, who has gone to European carrier Wizz Air as its executive vice president and deputy chief executive officer.

“To be able to promote two world class internal candidates into the executive after a global search says a lot about the calibre of talent at Air New Zealand,” Air New Zealand chairman Tony Carter said at the company’s annual general meeting on September 28.