BA to fly A380 on shorthaul?
British Airways is reportedly considering flying its A380s on shorthaul routes to build up crew training and familiarity. Preparing for delivery of the first of 12 A380s in mid-2013, BA is looking at training options, which may include an intra-Europe program before launching the aircraft on longhaul services to the US and Asia. Air France
Etihad and Garuda enter partnership
Amid heightened activity by Middle East carriers to form alliances with airlines in Australasia, Etihad has announced a codeshare deal with Indonesia’s Garuda. The arrangement, which is Etihad’s 42nd codeshare, will begin on October 28. The airline will place its EY code on Garuda’s services between Jakarta and Denpasar and Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, while
Cautious forecast for airline profitability improvements
IATA has forecast better profitability for the world’s airlines, revising its June 2012 prediction of US$3 billion to now US$4.1 billion for this year. A cautious Tony Tyler, director-general and CEO of IATA, said while profitability looks to be improving, “we should not get too excited”, describing the expected 0.5 per cent profit margins as
Qantas invests in QLD heavy maintenance base
Closure of the Qantas heavy maintenance base at Avalon Victoria would appear to have moved one step closer with the announcement on October 18 the airline will invest a further $30 million in its Brisbane maintenance base. The work will see the current line maintenance facilities expanded into three lines and will include new aircraft
New Sydney CASA HQ
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has moved into new premises in Mascot, Sydney in what federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says “will ensure a more consistent approach to the monitoring, surveillance and delivery of regulatory services”. “Providing CASA with more modern and centrally located facilities will assist in the Authority’s ability to
F-35A completes first inflight weapons release
The CTOL F-35A variant of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter dropped a weapon for the first time this week. F-35A AF-1 dropped a 2,000lb GBU-31 JDAM over the Lake China weapons range on October 16, with USAF Major Eric Schultz at the controls.
