Australia’s competition regulator has reversed course and cleared Virgin Australia/Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) and Alliance Airlines to work together in the charter and fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) market. The two carriers’ charter alliance involves joint tendering for corporate FIFO contracts, as well as cooperating on aircraft maintenance, procurement of aircraft and parts, parts pooling, airport operations,
Qantas has opened a new Regional Lounge at Karratha Airport. The 80-seat lounge is located airside on the upper level of the terminal building. Like other Qantas Regional and Qantas Club lounges the new Karratha lounge was designed by Woods Bagot. Features of the lounge include two pieces of Indigenous artwork by local West Australian artist Jukuja Dolly Snell
Malaysia-based Malindo Air has become the first airline to take delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX. The airline, part of Indonesia-based Lion Air Group’s portfolio of carriers, received 737 MAX 8 9M-LRC at Boeing’s Seattle delivery centre on Tuesday (US time). It was expected to enter service on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore and Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok Don
Qantas has called on the general public to suggest names for its forthcoming fleet of eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which it says it wants to name after “Australian icons”. The airline has published a page on its website where anyone can provide eight name suggestions for the 787s, the first of which is due for delivery in October this year.
Qantas Freight has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-400F freighter, with the one-time British Airways-operated aircraft arriving in Melbourne from the US on Sunday afternoon. The 737, built as a 737-400 passenger aircraft in 1990, is due to join the Qantas Freight subfleet which delivers domestic mail, parcels and Express Post for Australia Post
Virgin Australia will move its checkin desks at Los Angeles Airport over the weekend, with its trans-Pacific alliance partner Delta Air Lines among a host of other carriers also shifting terminals in a big week of change at the airport. Passengers checking in for Virgin Australia flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney
