The World of Aviation

Virgin Blue has announced plans to build a widebody capable aircraft maintenance hangar and engineering base at Sydney Airport. Planning on the new facility is well underway, according to Virgin Blue Group of Airlines CEO John Borghetti, with the hangar able to accommodate up to four narrow-body aircraft, or two narrow-body aircraft and one widebody

Air New Zealand has posted normalised earnings before tax of NZ$112 million for the first half of the current financial year, up 33 per cent on the same half in the 2009-10 financial year. The result (NZ$96 million after tax) includes an NZ$18 million gain on equity swaps relating to Air NZ’s recent investment in

Piper Aircraft has reported significant increases in billings and deliveries during 2010, highlighted by the company’s solid performance in the pilot training sector. Piper delivered 160 new aircraft in 2010, an increase of more than 75 per cent from 90 aircraft in 2009, with 53 aircraft delivered in the fourth quarter alone. The new deliveries

Strategic Airlines operated its inaugural twice weekly Brisbane-Phuket service on February 24. Operated by Strategic’s 274-seat two class Airbus A330-200, the flights depart Brisbane on Thursdays and Sundays at 12.05pm, arriving in Phuket at 4.50pm local time. The return flights depart Phuket Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5.50pm, arriving in Brisbane at 6.50am the following day.

Airnorth is set to increase capacity between Perth and Kununurra during the coming dry season with a new Sunday service beginning in the next few months. Airnorth’s traditional Saturday service recommences on March 5, providing a direct regional link between Darwin, Kununurra and Perth. However, this will now be supplemented by  additional Sunday services, starting

Brisbane-based Australian Aerospace’s bid for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) lucrative Air 9000 Phase 8 naval helicopter program has received the backing of Queensland premier Anna Bligh. “In the past 10 years we have created 16,500 aviation, aerospace and defence jobs across Queensland on projects from aircraft design, manufacture, maintenance, modification, repair and overhaul; to