The World of Aviation

Virgin Australia has announced plans to launch an extra daily service between Melbourne and Hobart and build a new premium lounge at Hobart Airport. The announcement coincides with the launch today of a priority boarding service for premium passengers at Hobart Airport, part of a larger effort by Virgin to expand its business offerings. The

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued draft approval of a codesharing alliance between Virgin Australia and Skywest aimed at tapping into lucrative mining routes in Western Australia. The ACCC said the alliance would benefit consumers by fostering competition between Virgin-Skywest and Qantas and its affiliates. The deal “will result in public benefits such

A regional aviation industry group has lashed out at government support for carmaker Holden, saying the government has put the needs of a “huge multi-national” above those of small airlines serving rural Australia. “Detroit might be celebrating tonight but Australians who rely on regional air services are in shock,” Regional Aviation Association of Australia CEO

The international partners in the JSF program – including Australia – really need to come together to lobby the US government to recognise the disproportionate share of the early production costs of the F-35 they will be forced to pay in the next five years. The combined partner nation JSF requirement is about 750 aircraft,

Qantas has completed the refit of its fourth 747-400 and will introduce the aircraft on trans-Pacific routes by the end of this month. The refit program brings the 747-400 interior in line with that of Qantas’s Airbus A380s and includes redesigned seats, larger seatback inflight entertainment screens and fully-flat Skybeds in business class. The refurbished

Airbus has joined with Virgin Australia in studying the possibility of producing sustainable jet fuel out of eucalyptus trees. The consortium, which also includes the Future Farm Industries CRC, aims to have an alternative fuel pilot plant operating in Australia within the next year. The effort is focusing on a thermal conversion process known as