The World of Aviation

Boeing has announced key senior leadership changes to its Australian businesses which see Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) COO Kim Gillis become vice president and managing director of BDA, and current BDA vice president and managing director John Duddy taking up the post of managing director of Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA). Gillis will be responsible for

Air New Zealand subsidiary Altitude Aerospace Interiors (AAI) has gained its second major VIP aircraft completion contract, which will see the company fit out a Boeing Business Jet 737 (BBJ) VIP aircraft. The BBJ is expected to arrive at Altitude’s facilities early in 2012, after the unnamed subcontinent based client takes delivery of the aircraft

The Department of Defence says a component failure in the fuel system caused the engine failure which led to the May 18 crash of a RAAF PC-9/A. “Air Force will now work with its contracted maintenance organisations, and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, to establish the cause of the component failure,” Defence said in a

Hawker Beechcraft has announced that the final preproduction Hawker 200 has successfully completed its first flight. “The aircraft performed exceptionally well during its two hour, three minute flight. Development testing is more than 50 per cent complete and the aircraft is meeting or exceeding all performance targets,” HBC executive vice president Shawn Vick said in

The Airbus-led consortium developing the A320/A321 Passenger to Freighter (P2F) conversion has decided to cancel the project, citing “economic reasons”. “Recent market developments, including the success of the upcoming A320neo, have resulted in more demand for A320 passenger aircraft and less for freighter versions in this aircraft category,” Airbus said in a statement. “In addition,

Tiger Airways has announced it is suspending four routes – Melbourne-Mackay and Melbourne-Rockhampton and Brisbane-Sydney and Sydney-Sunshine Coast – from August 1 to “simplify its Australian flying program” so that it can “focus on restoring the punctuality of its operation”. Tiger says its Melborne to Mackay and Rockhampton flights have been hit by rising oil