Airport staff who work airside at Australia’s major airports will be the focus of additional security measures being introduced to protect the travelling public, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester says. The new rules include random explosive trace screening for the 140,000 Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) holders – staff such as baggage
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has introduced new rules for recreational users of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). Under the new rules, recreational users are prohibited from flying these aircraft, commonly known as drones, within 5.5km of any controlled aerodrome, which covers all capital city airports and some at regional centres. Drones, which have
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its final report into the engine failure and forced landing of AS350BA Squirrel, VH-SFX, which occurred over dense forest in the Whyanbeel Valley, Queensland on 2 November 2015. While conducting a low-altitude aerial weed spotting operation, the helicopter yawed twice in an uncommanded manner. In response, the
An RAC Rescue helicopter crew has been recognised with a Commendation Award at the National Search and Rescue Council’s annual awards for a 12 hour marathon offshore retrieval mission over remote waters near Esperance, Western Australia. Crewed by pilot Craig Bowman, aircrewman Garth Fitzgerald and St John Ambulance paramedic Ben Harris, the RAC Rescue Bell
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says touchdown of the airline’s first Boeing 787-9 represents something of a rebirth of the 97-year-old Australian flag carrier. The aircraft, VH-ZNA Great Southern Land, landed at 0700 local time on Friday morning, after its 10-hour delivery flight QF7879 from Honolulu, Hawaii. After a short wait, the 787-9 was towed
Airbus says it is aiming to achieve certification of its re-engined A330neo widebody by the middle of 2018 after the A330-900 successfully completed its first test flight. The first of three test aircraft, MSN1795, an A330-900 with registration F-WTTN, took off from Airbus headquarters at Toulouse on Thursday morning (local time), landing some four hours
