Norwegian orders 100 A320neos
European budget carrier Norwegian has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 100 Airbus A320neo jetliners. The deal represents the second half of a split buy after Norwegian last week announced an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The A320neo and 737 MAX are competing upgrades on current single aisle airliners designed for improved
Boeing/Thales settle on EC135 for ADF bid
Boeing Defence Australia and Thales will offer the Eurocopter EC135 as a training platform to the ADF for the Air 9000 Phase 7 – Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) project. The Boeing/Thales offering will compete with several other platforms, including a variant of the AgustaWestland AW109, offered by BAE, CAE and AgustaWestland, and the Bell
Virgin aims at resource boom with strengthened alliance
The ACCC has given interim approval to an expanded alliance between Virgin Australia and Skywest aimed at tapping demand from the resources and mining industries. The alliance, offering bundled passenger services to businesses wanting a combination of charter, domestic and international flights, represents an effort by Virgin to step up its competition with Qantas in
Airbus boss Enders tabbed to lead EADS
Airbus CEO Tom Enders has been tabbed to lead parent company EADS from June this year in a move meant to maintain the delicate Franco-German balance atop the European aerospace and defence giant. Enders, a 53 year old German who has headed Airbus since 2007, will succeed Frenchman Louis Gallois. Airbus COO Fabrice Bregier will
Asia-Pac pax up, cargo down
International passenger travel across the Asia Pacific rose 3.5 per cent last year amid slackening cargo demand, according to year end figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. The region’s airlines carried 190 million international passengers in 2011 as sustained economic growth propped up demand for both business and leisure travel. Growing airline
Blacks Hawks sent to NSW flood region
The Army has dispatched two Black Hawk helicopters to assist with flood relief operations in northern New South Wales. The aircraft, normally based at the Australian Army Aviation Training Center in Oakey, Queensland, departed Wednesday and will operate out of Lismore. “The Black Hawks are equipped with winching systems and have been fitted with long-range
