The World of Aviation

Boeing believes that airlines in the Oceania region will require 920 new aircraft worth US$120bn (A$129bn) over the next 20 years, according to its latest Current Market Outlook. Boeing’s vice president of marketing Randy Tinseth shared the outlook as part of a series of briefings he is undertaking this week in Sydney, and noted that

Aeronautical Accessories is now offering a new vertical fin antenna mount for the Bell 407, 206B and 206L, which it says has a number of safety benefits. “By repositioning the antenna out from under the main rotor blades and adding optional anti-collision lights to the aircraft this product provides Bell 407 and 206 operators with

Qantas’s group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein will leave the airline in December to take up a position as head of government affairs at BHP Billiton. Epstein joined Qantas in 2008, and before that was chief of staff for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Former Qantas chief financial officer Colin Storrie has been hired by Investec’s Global Aircraft Fund to sit on its investment committee. Storrie left Qantas in March for personal reasons. Former Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti has also sat on the same investment committee, but stepped down prior to being appointed as CEO of Virgin

Sir Richard Branson has vowed that Virgin Blue will retain its ‘Virgin’ identity as the carrier prepares to rebrand some time in the next few months. “The Virgin name will stay forever,” Branson said at a function to celebrate the airline’s 10th anniversary in Melbourne. “I think Pacific Blue and the other (airlines) they will

Boeing is increasingly looking like it will not offer a re-engining option for future 737 customers, but could instead offer further incremental improvements to the existing NG series aircraft, which has been internally dubbed ‘737NG+’. According to Flightblogger, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh raised the prospect of a 737NG+ during an internal company webcast