The World of Aviation

Western China’s Sichuan Airlines has joined the parade of Chinese carriers to Australia, launching three times weekly services from Chengdu to Melbourne. Sichuan, which launched international services in June 2012, will also establish an office in Melbourne. The announcement follows a trade mission to China by the Victorian government, which hailed the deal as a

Boeing has received the third phase of low-rate initial production orders from the US Navy for the P-8A Poseidon. The US$1.9bn contract for 11 aircraft will take the total USN fleet to 24. Boeing has so far delivered three production P-8A aircraft, built alongside the company’s commercial 737-800 aircraft. The USN is slated to purchase

While Qantas has argued that its international operations are too weak to survive without Emirates, Virgin Australia is claiming that Qantas’s strength means the proposed alliance will undermine competition. In a submission to the ACCC, Virgin has urged the consumer watchdog to deny Qantas’s application for interim approval of the alliance, saying the tie-up would

The United States says it has complied with a World Trade Organization ruling on illegal subsidies to Boeing, but the European Union says it will study the measures to ensure full compliance. The development is the latest in a bitter trade dispute between the US and EU over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus, with both

United Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, becoming the North American launch operator for the long-awaited aircraft. United inherited orders for 50 787s in its merger with Continental and plans to use the new aircraft on international services to Africa, Asia and Europe. The airline said its first 787 will be

Boeing and aircraft leasing company Avolon have finalised a deal for 25 737 aircraft valued at US$2.4 billion. The order, first announced as a commitment at the Farnborough Airshow in July, includes 10 737 MAX-8s, five 737 MAX-9s and 10 737-800s. Boeing said the deal brought firm orders for the 737 MAX to 664 aircraft