The World of Aviation

Garuda Indonesia has ordered six A330-200s which will be delivered from the second quarter of 2012. The aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.

Virgin America has signed an MoU with Airbus at the Farnborough Airshow which will see the airline order 40 A320s and take options on a further 20, all of which will be fitted with the new ‘Sharklet’ wingtip devices.

Thai Airways International has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase seven additional Airbus A330-300s, which will be delivered from the end of 2011. Thai already operates 20 A330s, predominately on routes within the Asia Pacific region.

The ADF’s fleet of MRH 90 helicopters has been cleared to return to flight after an engine failure caused a grounding of three months duration, and are expected to resume flying this week. “I can confirm flying operations will commence shortly following approval by Defence’s Operational Airworthiness Authority,” the DMO’s new Head of Helicopter Systems

Boeing has delivered the 800th Boeing airliner in China, a 737-800 for Air China, with Boeing and the Civil Aviation Administration of China celebrating a partnership which stretches back to 1972. “We have witnessed the rapid development of the aviation industry in China. We are honoured to be part of the development by providing our

Dr David Warren, the Australian inventor of the ‘black box’ flight recorder has died, aged 85. Warren was a research scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s (DSTO) Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne from 1952 to 1983, and in 1953 was involved in investigations into the crashes of the early De Havilland Comet 1s.