The World of Aviation

Boeing has reported solid first quarter orders and deliveries as it pushes to make up lost ground on rival Airbus. The US planemaker delivered 137 commercial aircraft during the first three months of 2012, a 32 per cent increase over last year. During the same period, Boeing took in orders for 412 aircraft. Boeing’s deliveries

Battle lines are being drawn between the federal and NSW governments over the placement of a second Sydney Airport, as the bipartisanship called for in the wake of a dire study on the city’s airport needs appears predictably elusive. Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has in recent days accused conservative NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell of

Airbus Military’s A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) made its maiden flight in British service in Sunday. Known as the Voyager in RAF service, the aircraft took off from RAF Brize Norton for a training and familiarisation sortie around the UK. Britain has ordered 14 of the tankers, of which two have already been converted

Russia’s Transaero Airlines has ordered four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners in a deal valued at US$744 million at list prices. Transaero, Russia’s second largest carrier, said it would use the aircraft on its domestic and international routes. Boeing did not release a delivery schedule for the aircraft. The US planemaker has booked more than 850 787

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

Boeing and Embraer have signed a broad – and notably vague – agreement to cooperate on aircraft safety, efficiency and manufacturing productivity. What if anything the agreement means in real terms remains to be seen. But the timing of the announcement, following a meeting with the US and Brazilian presidents and coinciding with the announcement