V Australia takes off to Abu Dhabi
Virgin Blue Group of Airlines has become the first Australian carrier to operate in the Middle East for 20 years, after launching its inaugural V Australia flight to Abu Dhabi on February 24. The initally three times weekly Abu Dhabi serivce comes as part of the codesharing alliance agreement between Virgin Blue and Etihad, which
Boeing wins USAF KC-X Round three
Boeing has been awarded a contract by the Pentagon for the USAF’s long-delayed KC-X tanker program. Boeing’s KC767AT (Advanced tanker) concept beat out a bid by EADS North America with its A330 MRTT-based KC-45. The new aircraft will be known as the KC-46A in USAF service. The win by Boeing surprised many analysts who had
Korean A380 emerges from the paintshop
The first Airbus A380 for Korean Airlines has emerged from the paintshop at Airbus’s Hamburg facilities. The aircraft, the first of 10 A380s on order for Korean, will be delivered in the second quarter of the year.
VB maintenance base for Sydney
Virgin Blue has announced plans to build a widebody capable aircraft maintenance hangar and engineering base at Sydney Airport. Planning on the new facility is well underway, according to Virgin Blue Group of Airlines CEO John Borghetti, with the hangar able to accommodate up to four narrow-body aircraft, or two narrow-body aircraft and one widebody
Air NZ’s profit jump
Air New Zealand has posted normalised earnings before tax of NZ$112 million for the first half of the current financial year, up 33 per cent on the same half in the 2009-10 financial year. The result (NZ$96 million after tax) includes an NZ$18 million gain on equity swaps relating to Air NZ’s recent investment in
Piper reports significant growth in 2010
Piper Aircraft has reported significant increases in billings and deliveries during 2010, highlighted by the company’s solid performance in the pilot training sector. Piper delivered 160 new aircraft in 2010, an increase of more than 75 per cent from 90 aircraft in 2009, with 53 aircraft delivered in the fourth quarter alone. The new deliveries
