Staff reporter

Qantas posts modest profit decline, plans to delay A320neo deliveries Qantas plans to defer deliveries of the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft in order to spread out its capital investment over a longer timeframe. The decision to push back deliveries of the next generation Airbus narrowbodies on order for Jetstar – comprising 54 of the

Aviation powerhouse Cathay Pacific Airways has slumped to just the third annual loss in its 70-year history as intense competition and overcapacity hit yields while economic jitters affected demand in crucial business markets. Cathay reported a net loss of HK$575m (A$98m) for the 12 months to December 31 2016, slumping into the red from net

MQ-8C Fire Scout nears service entry Development of Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8C Fire Scout ship-based Vertical Takeoff and Land Tactical UAV (VTUAV) is nearly complete. The MQ-8C, which was on display in mockup form at Avalon, is an enlarged development of the MQ-8B Fire Scout which has seen service off US Navy FFG frigates and the

ADF on the verge of embracing unmanned aircraft The Australia Defence Force looks to be on the cusp of an unmanned aircraft revolution – that much is clear walking around the recent Avalon Airshow. All three services have been relatively late adapters of unmanned, or remotely piloted, aircraft. The Army has led the way with

Boeing, Bell eye opportunities in the potential early replacement of the Tiger ARH Under current Defence planning, the Australian Army’s Tiger ARH, the subject of a critical ANAO report published in September 2016 which highlighted the program’s lower than expected serviceability rates and growing obsolescence issues, is slated to be upgraded under the LAND 9000

Tragic Grumman Mallard Accident The annual Perth Australia Day fireworks display was cancelled when Grumman G-73 Mallard, VH-CQA, crashed into the Swan River in front of thousands of spectators. The aircraft was a last minute entry in the annual Skyworks event. The big amphibian had made two touch and go landings and was about to