A biofuel powered Qantas A330 took to the skies today in an Australian first as the airline announced a new government-backed effort to study the feasibility of an Australian biofuel industry. “Australia has the skills, resources and infrastructure to take the lead in this emerging sector,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a press conference
The cargo wing of Emirates Airlines will launch a second weekly freighter flight to Sydney in what the airline calls a sign of Australia’s growing importance in international trade. Emirates SkyCargo currently operates a single weekly Boeing 777 freighter flight on its Dubai-Singapore-Sydney-Hong Kong-Dubai route. That service launched seven months ago. “The demand for a
Virgin Australia is sprucing up the interior of its international fleet of Boeing 777s with new seat fabrics and carpets. Seats across all three classes will receive extra padding and new covers and headrests as part of the redesign, which will bring the widebody aircraft in line with the rest of Virgin’s fleet. The airline
Virgin Australia will invest $8 million in regional carrier Skywest Airlines as it moves to take advantage of the booming resource market. The deal will give Virgin the equivalent of a 10 per cent stake in Perth-based Skywest, which operates a network of scheduled and chartered FIFO services serving the mining sector as well as
Jetstar Japan has received its final regulatory approval, clearing the way for the budget carrier to begin flights in July, well ahead of its original schedule. The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued the airline with its Air Operators Certificate on Friday. Jetstar said it would begin proving flights next month, with commercial
Virgin Australia has created a separate business division for its Velocity Frequent Flyer program and has appointed former Qantas executive Neil Thompson as CEO of the new branch. Virgin said the move reflected its increasing focus on its frequent flyer program. “The Velocity Frequent Flyer program is critical to Virgin Australia’s goal of becoming the
