The World of Aviation

Lockheed Martin says the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test fleet has now achieved  its goal of 394 flights in 2010, with the 400th flight milestone passed on December 13. “We exceeded our 394 flight goal and expect to meet out overall test point goal this year by reaching ahead and working 2011 test points,”

China Southern has announced plans to operate to Auckland by April 30 next year as an extension of its Guangzhou-Melbourne services. China’s largest airline will operate to Auckland three times a week with 284-seat Airbus A330-300s.

CASA’s long awaited revised maintenance suite of Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASRs) have been signed into law, and will take effect from June 27 2011. The new CASRs cover continuing airworthiness requirements (Part 42), approved maintenance organisations (Part 145), maintenance personnel licensing (Part 66) and maintenance training organisations (Part 147). “The outcome-based approach of the

Airbus’s latest Global Market Forecast (GMF) predicts a more bullish recovery in demand for new aircraft, projecting an additional 900 aircraft deliveries over the next two decades compared to its 2009 GMF. The 2010 GMF predicts 4.8 per cent annual growth in airliner deliveries, compared to the 4.7 per cent rate of growth forecast a

Boeing’s Phantom Ray UCAV demonstrator was taken aloft on NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified Boeing 747-100 for a 50 minute test flight from St Louis’s Lambert Field on December 13. The compatibility flight was undertaken as a prelude to the SCA’s planned carriage of the Phantom Ray to the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards

Virgin Blue has poached another key Qantas executive, this time head of airports customer experience Roger Lindeman. Lindeman, a 40 year Qantas veteran, will join Virgin Blue in early 2011 as general manager service experience. “Roger’s renowned customer service skills have won him many accolades and awards. He will be a huge asset to the