Boeing industrial discord unsettles 777X launch
The week before Boeing is expected to officially launch its 777X program at the Dubai Airshow, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers at the manufacturer’s Puget Sound (Washington state) facility has voted down an extension to an existing employment contract. The move potentially risks the launch and at the very least casts an
Spatial disorientaiton behind ABC helicopter crash – ATSB
The ATSB’s final report into the August 18 2011 crash of the ABC’s Squirrel helicopter in which pilot Gary Ticehurst, reporter Paul Lockyer and cameraman John Bean were killed has found incorrect inputs to an onboard GPS unit, spatial disorientation and night flying recency were likely contributing factors to the accident. The AS355F2 Twin Squirrel helicopter,
Airports trend towards higher IT investments
The world’s airports are increasing their investment in information technology to approximately US$6 billion in 2013, according to the 2013 SITA/ACI/Airline Business Airport IT Trends Survey. Despite economic challenges approximately 90 per cent of airports expect their IT spending to either increase or remain stable in 2014, with a key focus on improving the passenger
Truss launches Aviation Safety Regulation Review
Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss announced on Thursday an independent review of aviation safety regulation in Australia. In launching the review, Truss said: “Aviation activity is expected to double in the next twenty years. The industry is a vital part of our economy and we must ensure it is supported by a
Airbus partners in world-first volcanic ash study flight
Airbus, easyJet and Norwegian sensing specialist Nicarnica Aviation have successfully created first ever significant artificial ash cloud to test new technology that detects and estimate concentrations of volcanic ash in the atmosphere. An A400M airlifter dispersed one tonne of Icelandic ash into the atmosphere at between 9,000ft and 11,000ft creating conditions consistent with the 2010
Virgin Australia seeks $350m in rights issue
Virgin Australia has announced that it intends to raise about $350 million through an entitlement offer to improve its liquidity position. Shareholders will be able to purchase five new shares for every existing 14 company shares held on November 19. The airline’s major shareholders and strategic partners support the entitlement offer and will be taking
