The World of Aviation

The two-year delay to Australia’s F-35 acquisition program announced last week was confirmed by Tuesday’s federal budget, but budget documents also reveals that the last phase of the AIR 6000 program to procure the JSF has also been delayed, as has the project to acquire the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to replace the Orion, plus

The RAAF’s C-130H Hercules will be retired early to save $250 million in operational and maintenance costs, the federal government’s budget for 2012-13 released Tuesday evening reveals. The eight flyable C-130Hs, operated by 37SQN from RAAF Richmond, were due to be retired from 2013, but last October Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Material Minister

Jetstar is set to launch one-stop service from Perth to China’s “Hawaii of the East” with four times weekly services to Hainan Island. The service, via Singapore, builds on an existing Jetstar route connecting Singapore with Haikou, Hainan’s capital. With eight million residents, Jetstar says Hainan is a significant potential source of tourists for WA,

Virgin Australia will add two additional weekday return flights between Brisbane and Gladstone in response to demand from the resource sector, the airline said today. The extra flights, which will be phased in starting May 28, will bring Virgin’s weekly flights between the Queensland capital and Gladstone to 58, including five return services on weekdays.

The federal government will move ahead with a “detailed investigation” into building a second Sydney airport in Wilton, but stopped short of endorsing that option. Transport Minister Anthony Albanese announced the plans today, saying the inquiry would include “preliminary economic, social and environmental studies.”  Albanese said a decision on whether to go ahead with an

Perth based fire-fighting Squirrel helicopters dropped their 15,000th load of water during the summer bush fire season. The AS350 B3 Squirrels have been operated by HNZ Australia out of Perth Airport since 2005. Patrolling a 120km radius around the WA capital, the four Helitacs work in conjunction with fixed-wing water bombers, with the more manoeuvrable