Qantas to commence A380 inflight connectivity trial
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce today announced the airline’s trial deployment of internet capability on selected A380 aircraft starting in February next year. Six aircraft would be involved in the pilot program on designated Sydney-Los Angeles and Melbourne-Los Angeles flights. “From February next year our customers travelling between Australia and Los Angeles will have the opportunity
Qantas reaches agreement with short-haul cabin crew
In its first major agreement since its recent industrial disputes, Qantas’s short haul cabin crew today voted in favour of a new enterprise bargaining agreement. The three year agreement between Qantas and the Flight Attendants Association of Australia’s Domestic/Regional Division will apply to approximately 2150 domestic customer service managers and flight attendants. Qantas group executive
Incorrect data entry led to Emirates tailstrike – ATSB
The incorrect entry of takeoff weight data resulted in the tailstrike and runway overrun of an Emirates Airbus A340 on departure from Melbourne Airport in March 2009, an ATSB investigation has found. The A340-500, A6-ERG, was carrying 18 crew and 257 passengers at the time of the incident. “The investigation found that the accident resulted
Air Austral withdraws from Sydney
Air Austral has announced a decision to withdraw operations on Reunion-Sydney-Noumea and Reunion-Bangkok routes from March 2012. The decision follows a review of the airline’s long haul operations, which cited the difficult economic climate and continued impost of rising jet fuel prices as reasons for the cessation. The French Indian Ocean territory Reunion Island based
Boeing and FedEx announce 767 and 777 order
FedEx Express has ordered 27 767-300 Freighters and exercised existing options for an additional two 777 Freighters, Boeing announced on Thursday. The new additions will bolster the Memphis-based freight carrier’s existing fleet of over 690 aircraft, and allow for both the replacement of less efficient widebodys with the 767 and further growth in the international
RAAF KC-30s begin air-to-air refuelling trials
A KC-30A MRTT of the RAAF’s 33SQN commenced air-to-air refuelling trials with an F/A-18B Hornet from the Edinburgh based Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) on October 18. The trials, including wet and dry hook ups, took place between KC-30A A39-003 and ARDU’s resident F/A-18B A21-101 test aircraft, and saw the start of trials which
