The World of Aviation

Regional Express announced on December 18 that it has leased two Saab 340Bs to Thai regional carrier SGA Airlines. The aircraft are expected to be delivered on January 5. SGA Airlines is affiliated with low cost carrier Nok Air, and operates services from Chiang Mai to Mae Honson and Udon Thani.

Jetstar will now accept Universal Air Travel Plan and Diners Club cards as forms of payment for customers in the Asia Pacific region. UATP and Diners Club payment methods are particularly popular with businesses and corporate travellers, and this move represent further expansion of Jetstar’s distribution channels.

Former Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti has been appointed to Investec Global Aircraft Fund’s investment committee. IGAF currently has a portfolio of seven aircraft valued at over US$500m (A$561m) and is currently raising capital to invest in more aircraft.

Eurocopter’s 16-seat medium-lift EC175 made its ‘official’ first flight on December 17 from Eurocopter’s Marignane, France, facility. However, the December 17 flight was in fact the type’s sixth, with the actual first flight occurring nearly two weeks earlier on December 4. During the December 17 flight EC175 ‘prototype 1’ F-WWPB performed as part of a rehearsed handling display of 

The University of Queensland and Brisbane based V-TOL Aerospace have signed a collaboration agreement which will give aerospace engineering students and researchers the opportunity to work on real-life Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) projects. “V-TOL Aerospace is a dynamic company with interesting ideas for the future of the UAV industry and through this link we hope

Fresh from signing a new agreement with Chevron Australia to provide aviation services to support the massive Gorgon LNG project off the coast of Western Australia, Cobham Aviation Services Australia has signed agreements with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft to lease two additional Avro RJ100s and extend the lease on a BAe 146-300 already operated by