The World of Aviation

Long-time Airnorth chief executive Michael Bridge has stepped down after 17 years leading the Australian regional carrier. Bridge has been succeeded as chief executive by deputy chief executive Daniel Bowden, Airnorth said in a statement. Airnorth said the leadership change was part of a planned transition after Bristow Helicopters Australia, an affiliate US-based Bristow Group,

Virgin Australia has extended its long-term partnership up with Travelport, which will also include an improved presentation of its products and services to travel agents. The airline has signed an agreement to use Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding Solution, Travelport said in a statement on Monday. The application will allow Virgin’s new cabin products, such

Alliance Aviation Services is closing its Brisbane heavy maintenance base and will send its all-Fokker fleet to Europe for their regular heavy checks as part of cost-saving measures. The heavy maintenance checks will be undertaken at Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Technik Bratislava, which started working on Alliance aircraft in April when the company ended heavy maintenance

The US Marine Corps has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) for the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II, with a squadron of 10 F-35B aircraft considered ready for worldwide deployment. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) based in Yuma, Arizona, is now therefore the first operational F-35 squadron, following a five-day

Cathay Pacific chief executive Ivan Chu says there may be enough of a first class market in Australia for the airline to consider offering its top cabin product on some flights to Sydney. Currently, all of Cathay’s Australian services are operated with aircraft featuring a three-class cabin of business, premium economy and economy. For Adelaide,

Falling passenger numbers have prompted Regional Express (Rex) to issue a profit downgrade less than a month before handing down its 2014/15 full year financial results. In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday, Rex said its profit outlook for the 12 months to June 30 2015 had been revised to “moderately negative