The World of Aviation

Melbourne Airport has introduced a new short term parking area for drivers waiting to collect arriving passengers. Drivers are meant to remain in the new ‘Ring and Ride’ zone until their arriving passenger calls to say they’re ready to be picked up, at which point drivers can proceed to the terminal forecourt. Parking in the

Airbus has delivered a front fuselage section for its A350 XWB to the aircraft’s Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, the first major airframe section to reach that milestone. The 21 metre long section was delivered on December 23 via Beluga aircraft from Airbus’s facility in Saint-Nazaire. The fuselage is destined for the A350

Embraer rolled out its first Legacy 500 test aircraft at its headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, on December 23. First flight of the midsize executive jet is scheduled for the third quarter 2012. Embraer plans to produce three test aircraft. Powered by twin Honeywell HTF 7500E turbofan engines, the Legacy 500 will accommodate up

The US has confirmed the sale of $30 billion worth of top line fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in an announcement coinciding with escalating tensions with Iran. The deal, announced Dec. 29, will see the US send 84 new Boeing F-15s to the oil rich kingdom while upgrading Saudi Arabia’s existing fleet of 70 F-15s.

Australia’s fourth KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport has been formally handed over to the RAAF, though the aircraft will remain in Spain for testing until later this year. Deliveries of the tanker, based on the Airbus A330-200, began last year after a two year delay. The RAAF’s fifth and final KC-30A is expected to be delivered

The US Air Force has awarded a controversial US$355 million contract to Embraer to supply 20 A-29 Super Tucano turboprops for Afghanistan’s nascent air force. The deal is a major victory for Embraer as the Brazilian planemaker seeks to expand its business in the US. Embraer fought off US based Hawker Beechcraft, which has filed