The World of Aviation

Qantas has recorded an underlying loss before tax of $252 million and a statutory loss after tax of $235 million for the six months to December 31, a figure in line with recent guidance provided by the airline. The loss comes on the back of $7.9 billion in revenue, a drop of four per cent

Airbus’s A350 text fleet doubled in size on February 26 when MSN2 and MSN4 made their first flights from Toulouse. The new aircraft join MSNs1 and 3 in the flight test program which is planned to comprise 2500 hours in the lead up to certification in September. MSN2 features a striking carbon fibre paint scheme and is

Air New Zealand has posted a record profit before tax of NZ$197m (A$181.8m) for the first half of the 2014 financial year, a result it attributes to its ‘Go Beyond’ strategy and stable fuel prices. Normalised profit before tax for the half was NZ$180m (A$166m), up 29 per cent, while net profit after tax was

Jetstar has begun operating the 787 on the trans-Tasman on an interim basis through until March 28 as it continues to build crew experience on the new Boeing twinjet. The Qantas Group’s low-cost carrier will operate the 335-seat 787-8 three times weekly between Melbourne and Auckland (on Mondays, Wedensdays and Fridays), with VH-VKA landing in Auckland

The Pentagon has released its proposed FY2015 defence budget, in which it plans to retire the USAF’s entire A-10C close air support and U-2S reconnaissance aircraft fleets. The FY15 budget commences on October 1 this year, and the planned cuts are designed to save money for higher priority programs such as the F-35 JSF, KC-46A

Bell has unveiled a full-scale mock-up of its new 505 Jet Ranger X at the Heli-Expo 2014 in Los Angeles. Previously known as the Short Light Single (SLS), the 505 will be feature a Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual FADEC providing 376kW at takeoff, a high inertia rotor system, and the Garmin G1000H avionics