The World of Aviation

Melbourne Airport has been named the ‘Low Cost Airport of the Year’ by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. “We are exceptionally proud to receive this award,” Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff said. “We work closely with our airlines to keep our costs low for better results – for airlines, for business and of course for passengers

Boeing announced on October 28 that it has chosen its North Charleston, South Carolina, facility as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787. Boeing said in addition to serving as a location for final assembly of 787s, the facility also will have the capability to support the testing and delivery of

South Korea is looking at upgrading many of its KF-16C/D fighters with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars as it seeks to maintain a qualitative edge on the Korean Peninsula, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports. Both Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have ‘drop in’ AESA offerings in the form of Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR)

US President Barack Obama has said he will sign the US Defense Authorization Bill for FY2010, a bill which includes US$680m (A$760m) funding for the JSF’s alternative Rolls-Royce/GE F136 engine. The funding had been in jeopardy after various interest groups had called for the second engine to be dropped, while President Obama and Defense Secretary

Malaysia will retire its MiG-29s next year due to rising maintenance and operational costs, according to a report in local media. The report says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the aircraft will be drawn down over the next 12 months and will be phased out by December 31 next year. Malaysia

The Australian Army’s Darwin based 1st Aviation Regiment has relinquished the last of its Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters in favour of its new Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARH). “It changes the unit from a battlefield support role to a true combat role,” Regiment executive officer Major Brett Whitcombe told local media. In a low key event,