The World of Aviation

Discount and restricted economy airfares were lower during July 2010 compared to the same time last year, the BITRE Domestic Air Fare Index shows. The Best Discount fare index came in at 54.2 compared to 62.4 for the same time last year, while the Restricted Economy index was down from 94.1 to 92.3. The Full

Fijian carrier Air Pacific has recorded a net loss of F$65.3m (A$37.9m) for the year ending March 31, seemingly casting doubt on Qantas’s plans to sell its stake in the carrier. The loss was attributed primarily to increased competition as well as fuel hedging losses. Nevertheless, new CEO Dave Pflieger said that the loss was

Air New Zealand may be planning to buy a 15 per cent stake in Virgin Blue, according to a report by Fairfax. Citing unnamed sources at the airline, a report carried in The Age claimed that Air NZ could buy the cornerstone stake in Virgin Blue as part of plans for the two carriers to

Qantas has announced that it has extended its Cityflyer product to include the Perth-Darwin route from July. The upgrade to a Cityflyer offering on its daily Boeing 737-800 will include a broader selection of wines and cheeses on board for business class passengers, more substantial meals in economy class with complimentary beer from midday and

Boeing has issued a “cautionary note” that delivery of the first Boeing 787-8 to launch customer All Nippon Airlines may be delayed from the last quarter of the year to early 2011. Boeing vice president and general manager 787 Scott Fancher noted that instrumentation configuration changes and the horizontal stabiliser inspections had “stacked up” and

The European Union has given regulatory approval for the proposed British Airways-American Airlines joint venture across the Atlantic, with the two airlines now hopeful of gaining approval from the US Department of Transportation shortly. “We await the DOT’s final decision but welcome this important and vital step forward,” said BA CEO Willie Walsh. “The high