Virgin’s full takeover of Tiger clears FIRB hurdle
Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has given Virgin Australia’s proposed takeover of Tigerair Australia the green light. In a statement to the Australian stock exchange on Friday, Virgin said the all clear from FIRB satisfied one of the conditions for the deal, which was expected to be completed by the end of 2014. “Virgin
Air China flags new Beijing-Auckland route as part of proposed Air NZ alliance
Air China has flagged starting services to Auckland as part of a proposed strategic alliance with Air New Zealand. The two carriers signed a statement of intent on Friday, coinciding with the visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to New Zealand. In a joint statement, the two Star Alliance carriers said they expected to
France orders 12 A330 MRTTs
France has become the sixth nation to choose the Airbus Defence and Space A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) after placing an order for 12 of the type for delivery from 2018. The MRTT will replace the C-135FR in Armee de l-Air service, with the 12 aircraft currently scheduled to be delivered at the rate of
Members of Virgin Australia and South African Airways’ (SAA) frequent flyer programs will be able to “earn and burn” points across each other’s networks as part of an expanded partnership between the two carriers. The reciprocal frequent flyer agreement, announced on Friday, also offers elite members of Virgin’s Velocity and SAA’s Voyager benefits such as
Jetgo drops Sydney-Roma flights
Regional carrier Jetgo has cited low demand and economic conditions for shelving planned Sydney-Roma flights less than two weeks from launch. The airline was due to start operating between Sydney and Roma with 36-seat Embraer ERJ 135 aircraft from December 1. However, a post on Jetgo’s Facebook page on Thursday said those flights have been cancelled, with
CASA extends consultation period over Jabiru engines
Jabiru-powered aircraft will operate without restriction for at least another week after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) extended the consultation period for proposed operational limitations on the manufacturer’s engines. CASA says it is continuing to learn more about the why there have been an increasing number of incidents from aircraft fitted with Jabiru engines.
