Qantas plans international capacity boost to Asia, New Zealand over summer
Qantas is boosting its recently revived Perth-Singapore service to daily and adding a fifth weekly flight to Jakarta as part of seasonal frequency increases for the upcoming summer holidays. There is also a planned boost on trans-Tasman services included in the more than 140 extra flights scheduled between the end of November and February, Qantas
SIA premium economy makes debut
Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) first premium economy service touched down in Sydney on Monday morning, marking the start of a 19-city rollout of the cabin between business and economy over the next six months. The first flight to feature SIA’s new premium economy, SQ221 operated by 9V-SKJ, took off from Changi Airport a little past 2100
Flights to Bali resume after conditions improve
Improved flying conditions have allowed the first flights from Australia to Bali to take off in more than five days, starting with Jetstar’s JQ47 departing Brisbane early Monday morning. Both Jetstar and Virgin Australia have suspended service to Bali in recent days due to the ash cloud from the Mount Raung volcano eruptions making conditions
Airbus names new vice president for the Pacific
Airbus has appointed Iain Grant as its new vice president for the Pacific, replacing Isabelle Floret. Grant will combine his responsibility as VP for the Pacific, which covers countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hong Kong in this region, with his current role as regional director for Airbus at International Airlines Group (IAG), the
Virgin Australia expects to have the first of its six-strong fleet of Airbus A330-200s fitted with new business class suites by the middle of August. The first aircraft to be reconfigured with the B/E Aerospace manufactured business class seats, VH-XFH, headed to Singapore to have the new seats fitted on August 1 according to flight
Moody’s upgrades Qantas credit rating
Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Qantas’s credit rating in recognition of the airline’s improved financial performance. Qantas’s senior unsecured rating has risen one notch to Ba1, from Ba2 previously, Moody’s said in a statement on Friday. The ratings agency noted Qantas had been paying down debt and reducing secured debt in recent times, as well
