The World of Aviation

Approval from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the New Zealand government to sell the RNZAF’s retired fleet of 17 A-4K Skyhawks expired on September 22 without the completion of a sale. The NZ government had hoped to sell the aircraft as well as 17 MB-339 Macchi jet trainers to Arizona

Cathay Pacific has signed an agreement with Boeing to exercise six options for 777-300ERs which will be delivered between 2013 and 2014. The six new aircraft have an estimated value of US$1.6bn (A$1.7bn) at list prices, and will take Cathay Pacific’s future 777-300ER fleet from 30 to 36. Cathay previously announced its intentions to take

Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe has used a speech to the National Aviation Press Club in Sydney on September 22 to blast the ACCC’s preliminary decision to oppose its planned trans Tasman alliance with Virgin Blue, labelling the decision as a “threat to our future”, saying that blocking the deal in fact would reduce

The Czech government has signed a Declaration of Intent with Embraer which could see it order at least two KC-390 military transport jets and likely to open the way for Czech industry involvement in the program. The signing follows similar interest from Colombia, Chile, Portugal and Argentina for the jet transport, which has been designed

AirAsia X has announced that it will launch three times weekly services from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from December 9. The route will be operated by its newly reconfigured Airbus A330-300s.

The first of three Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk UASs have arrived at Andersen AFB on the western Pacific island of Guam in the lead up to being declared operational early next year. The Block 30 is the USAF’s signals intelligence (SIGINT) version of the Global Hawk and is tasked to conduct electronic