The Department of Defence, Virgin Australia and Qantas have formed a new partnership to co-ordinate strategic aviation issues of national interest. During the first meeting of the new forum, Defence shared issues of common interest with the commercial partners, focusing on future national aviation developments, emerging technologies, crisis planning and security. Vice Chief of the
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will invest $95 million to upgrade the business and economy class cabins aboard its fleet of 10 777-200ERs. Business class will see the installation of fully-flat sleeper seats in a four-abreast 1-2-1 configuration as is currently fitted on the airline’s A380, 777-300ER and A340-500 aircraft. In economy class personal LCD monitors will
Air New Zealand is trialling seasonal flights between Christchurch, Queenstown and Mount Cook using ATR72 aircraft. Becoming the 28th domestic destination, Air New Zealand said the addition of Mount Cook was designed to connect key tourism destinations in the south island and will operate as a trial until January 27. The 40-minute flight will operate
Etihad carried 10.29 million passengers during 2012, exceeding its target of 10 million passengers for the year. The figure is up from 8.41 million passengers in 2011, representing a 22 per cent increase. The growth was spurred by partner airlines in which Etihad has investments including Virgin Australia, airberlin, Aer Lingus and Air Seychelles. Etihad
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has given draft approval to the proposed Qantas-Emirates partnership. The approval, granted for five years of the planned 10-year arrangement between the airlines, will allow Qantas and Emirates to coordinate pricing, sales and capacity. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the draft determination was “an important step towards delivering
By Michael Gisick The Byzantine Empire, as the standard-bearer of Christian civilization for a millennium after the fall of Rome, deserves to be remembered for many things. But it has left its clearest mark in modern English as a term for a particularly self-destructive form of politics – one defined by consuming internal rivalry and
