Preliminary financial performance figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show the region’s carriers achieved US$5.2 billion in combined net profits in 2012, 6.7 per cent above the reported results for 2011. Sustained growth in passenger traffic helped mitigate what the AAPA called a challenging operating environment marked by prolonged weakness in
Qatar Airways has contracted CTC Aviation to select and train the airline’s future pilots through a new Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) training program open to international applicants. Qatar Wings will provide an opportunity for six trainees to begin their initial flight training with CTC every two months for the foreseeable future. Courses will originate at
Jetstar Hong Kong has received backing from one of Asia’s wealthiest property and gambling tycoons, giving the airline greater certainty of approval by authorities to mount Hong Kong’s first locally-based low-cost carrier. Stanley Ho, via his Shun Tak investment company, has taken a 33 per cent stake in Jetstar Hong Kong alongside Qantas and China
The battle for WA has intensified further as Virgin Australia moves to operate all its weekday services between Sydney and Perth with A330s and will increase frequency between Perth and Karratha. The introduction of a seventh A330 to the airline’s fleet later this year will see these aircraft operate all Perth-Sydney and Perth-Melbourne weekday services
Air New Zealand says it has reached agreement to acquire a further three per cent shareholding in Virgin Australia, which would take its stake in the Australian number 2 carrier to 22.99 per cent, and says it will consider acquiring another three per cent “to the extent it is permitted to do so under the
Qantas and Boeing are celebrating the delivery of 250 Boeing aircraft, and 100 737s, to Qantas with the handover of the airline’s latest 737-800 in Seattle this week. A delivery dinner was held in Seattle on Tuesday evening ahead of the handover of 737-838 VH-XZG Bungendore, which is in fact Qantas’s 251st Boeing jetliner and 101st
