The World of Aviation

The seven European partner nations in the Airbus Military A400M airlifter program have formally signed a contract amendment with EADS which implements funding changes agreed to in principle in a framework agreement signed in March last year. The agreement sees program funding increase by €3.5 billion in total, including a €1.5 billion ‘export levy facility’,

Air New Zealand has received government approval for its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways, with the new services to go on sale from April 14 for travel from April 19. Etihad will codeshare on Air New Zealand trans-Tasman and domestic services, while Air New Zealand will do the same on Etihad flights between Sydney, Brisbane,

Fiji’s Air Pacific has cancelled its order for eight Boeing 787s. “Air Pacific and Boeing confirmed that the airline has cancelled its order for eight 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft which had been scheduled for delivery in 2015,” the two companies said in a joint statement. “Both companies noted that they were continuing to work with each

New Zealand Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has announced that nine of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF’s) 17 mothballed A-4K Skyhawks will be earmarked for museums (including one for Australia), after a long running attempt to sell the aircraft failed. “The government has made every effort to sell the Skyhawk fleet but no acceptable

Air New Zealand has appointed Christopher Luxon to group general manager International Airline. Luxon, who was a former president and CEO of Unilever Canada, will head Air NZ’s NZD $1.8 billion International Airline arm from May 30.

Virgin Blue has cancelled its Newcastle to Gold Coast service, with its last regular flight between Newcastle and the Gold Coast operating today. “We’re seeing this more as a general response to the Virgin Blue strategy of moving into the business market,” Newcastle Airport CEO Paul Hughes told the ABC. “But it’s also on the