Boeing begins 747-8I assembly
Boeing began assembly of the first passenger 747-8I Intercontinental last week with the loading of wing panels and spars in assembly tools at its Everett plant. Delivery of the first 747-8I is due in late 2011 to Lufthansa, preceded by delivery of the first 747-8F Freighter to launch customer Cargolux, which is due to take
Airlines PNG secures civil Hercules
Airlines PNG has announced that it is wet leasing a Lockheed L100 Hercules to provide outsize cargo lift for a liquefied natural gas project. In an arrangement with Alaskan based Lynden Air Cargo and Australian charter broker Adagold Aviation, Lydnen will operate the Hercules under the operational surveillance of Airlines PNG. The aircraft will be
Airline unions form new federation
A number of unions representing airport and airline workers have joined together to launch the Australian Aviation Unions Federation, which aims to become the major mouthpiece for Australian aviation workers. The AUF was launched on May 6 by the Transport Workers’ Union, the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers
RawandAir orders two 737s
Rawandan carrier RawandAir has placed an order for two Boeing 737-800s. “Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s will enable us to eventually expand to regional hubs across Africa and the Middle East,” said John Mirenge, RwandAir chairman. “They will become the mainstay of our fleet.” The carrier currently operates a fleet of regional jets from its base in
Qantas ownership changes may slide
Changes to the Qantas Sale Act to relax restrictions on the airline’s ownership have been put on hold until after the federal election later this year, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review. The newspaper states that the amendments to the Act are not on the parliamentary agenda for May and June in
Brett’s big farewell
Outgoing Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey was farewelled by colleagues, key industry executives, political figures and media during a dinner at Sydney’s Ivy Room on May 5, shortly before his last official day as boss of the airline he co-founded with Sir Richard Branson 10 years ago. Key founding Virgin Blue executives including former deputy
