Air NZ plans North American boost
Air New Zealand will increase capacity to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver as it moves to replace seats lost by Qantas’s exit from New Zealand-California flights earlier this year. Air NZ will increase San Francisco services from five times weekly to daily, Los Angeles services from 12 per week to twice daily and Vancouver
Retired Iroquois find new homes
Defence has announced the preferred recipients of six ex-Army Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters that had been offered to historical organisations interested in displaying the Vietnam-era icons. The recipients are: • Australian Flying Corps RAAF Association Western Australia Division; • Vietnam Veterans Associations of Australia Mitchell Sub-branch Victoria; • Caboolture Warplane and Flight Heritage Museum Queensland; • Port Pirie RSL
Hawaiian upgrades Auckland flights
Hawaiian Airlines will launch Honolulu-Auckland services next year aboard Airbus A330 aircraft rather than the Boeing 767s it had planned to use. The carrier claimed the switch was in response to strong advance bookings, though it also coincided with an announcement of promotional sale fares on the route. Hawaiian is due to begin flying to
Brazilian LCC orders 60 737 MAX
Brazilian budget carrier GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes has ordered 60 Boeing 737 MAX airliners, Boeing has announced. The deal, valued at US$6 billion at list prices, is the largest in GOL’s 12-year history and the biggest order from a single South American airline ever, Boeing said. The deal brings firm orders for Boeing’s upgraded single
PAL orders another 10 A330s
Philippine Airlines has ordered 10 more Airbus A330s as it continues its fleet upgrade. The deal, valued at US$2.5 billion at list prices, comes two weeks after PAL placed an order for 44 A321s and 10 A330s. The carrier said it remains in talks with Airbus and Boeing for the purchase of 35 more airliners.
Virgin launches new ad campaign
Virgin Australia this weekend launched a new ad campaign featuring a group of its own employees, the salt plains of WA, and lots of digital FX. The 60-second television commercial, featuring Megan Washington singing “S’Wonderful,” is described by the airline as a reflection of its “modern, stylish vibrancy”. “When we launched the new Virgin Australia
