Australian Aviation

Virgin Blue’s E-Jet attack on regional routes September was a big month for Virgin Blue. Not only did it celebrate its seventh anniversary of operations, but it took delivery of its first Embraer E-Jet, opened a new airport lounge in Canberra, and revealed a new assault on the nation’s capital and lucrative government travel accounts.

There’s no doubt regional aviation in Australia is growing. Operators are adding new equipment, from Embraer 170 jets to ATRs to Jetstream 41s. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content and past magazines. LoginBecome a MemberTo continue reading the rest of this article,

IOC for the C-17 The speed at which the C-17 was evaluated, ordered, delivered and cleared for operational service must be some sort of record for a peacetime military aircraft acquisition program. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian Aviation for unlimited access to exclusive content and past magazines. LoginBecome

The Qantas Group has joined Virgin Blue in offering its passengers the ability to offset the carbon emissions of their flights through a carbon offset program dubbed ‘Fly Carbon Neutral’. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon announced the scheme with federal environment minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra on September 18, with Qantas Group passengers able to pay

Commercial A350 Design Firms the Detail Design of Airbus’s A350 Twinjet is Gradually Firming as the Aircraft Closes in on Its October 2008 Design Freeze. Perhaps the Most Significant Change is a Switch From an Aluminium Sub-frame for the Fuselage to a Composite One, With Carbon-fibre Frames and Aluminium-lithium Alloy Cross-beams Supporting Composite Panels. Airbus

Regional Express, Australia’s second largest regional airline, put out the most extraordinary press release on October 9. “REX WARNS OF LOOMING CATASTROPHIC SHORTAGE OF PILOTS IN AUSTRALIA”, the release is titled. In the release Rex concedes that a shortage of qualified pilots is causing it to cancel flights, and details how over 20 per cent