Qantas A380 passengers were the first to roll on Los Angeles Airport's new taxiway. Qantas passengers aboard one of the Australian airline's new superjumbos have received a Hollywood-style red carpet welcome in Los Angeles. The passengers, flying in from Sydney, did not walk the traditional red carpet. Instead, they were the first to roll along Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) new $US88 million ($A106.76 million), 1km long, environmentally-friendly pervious concrete taxiway built to alleviate safety and congestion concerns at America's third busiest airport ...Read More

Kate Schneider with AAP Virgin Blue says airfares will fall Expects a drop of over 10 per cent Affected by decline in consumer confidence FLYING on budget airline Virgin Blue is set to become even cheaper. The Virgin airline group, comprising Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue, Polynesian Blue and V Australia, announced today that it expects average airfares to drop by "over ten per cent". However the airline would not say when travellers will see the cheaper tickets. Virgin expects a new profit before tax and exceptional ...Read More

AUSTRALIA’S International Air Services Commission has awarded Qantas unlimited cargo capacity and frequency on its Korean route for 10 years. No other Australian carrier challenged the ruling. Qantas plans to operate a 747-400 freighter wet leased from Atlas Air on the weekly routing that will take in Sydney-Seoul (Incheon)-Anchorage-Chicago. Australian airfreight volume came in above expectations in December, an increase of 1.2 per cent to 773.6 million tonnes after falling 2.2 per cent in 2009. ...Read More

Illustration: Robin Cowcher An alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand could deliver benefits for passengers, writes Clive Dorman. The proposed trans-Tasman alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand isn't rocket science, according to the retiring chief executive and founder of Virgin Blue, Brett Godfrey. From Virgin Blue's end of the deal, it's first about going back to basics in the low-cost airline rule book to reduce costs and to make more cheap fares available more regularly. But, he says, there will ...Read More

Virgin Blue has been voted Australia's best domestic airline, for the second year running, in a poll by leading consumer group Choice. More than 11,000 Choice members rated their satisfaction with domestic flights they had taken in the past 12 months, awarding Virgin top scores for service, entertainment and comfort. Regional carrier Rex was ranked second on the strength of its old-fashioned and more personalised service, while Qantas came third overall. Budget airline Tiger took out last place. Unexplained flight delays and the ...Read More

Australian travellers stuck in airports have been told to expect delays of between two days and a week as volcanic ash from a volcano in Iceland closes airports across Europe. Qantas has cancelled five flights to the UK from Sydney (QF1, 31, 9, 5, 29) and is advising passengers on those flights not to come to Sydney airport and to check the airline's website. Qantas spokesman David Epstein is warning passengers it may take until Sunday until flights resume their normal schedule. ...Read More

ANDREW HEASLEY Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has issued an apology over the airline's "major disruptions" over Easter caused by a run of technical glitches that led to several flights being delayed. In a message emailed to Frequent Flyer members, Mr Joyce sought to allay "any perception" that safety standards had slipped. "You may have been affected directly or indirectly by the disruptions, or seen the intense media coverage and widespread speculation about Qantas safety and maintenance standards," Mr Joyce said. "First, let me ...Read More

ANDREW HEASLEY Qantas's horror run of technical problems continued today, with a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet grounded in Melbourne after a cockpit window cracked on a flight from Los Angeles. It's the second occurrence for Qantas of a cracked pane this month, the other occurring on a Boeing 737 domestic flight. The plane's first officer noticed the crack on the outside pane of the cockpit window of flight QF 94, which landed at 8.40am. "During the flight the first officer noticed a cosmetic mark ...Read More

Another Qantas aircraft has had a mechanical problem, with an engine fault grounding a flight out of Brisbane Airport. QF15 was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles at 11am (AEST) last night when a problem was discovered with the wiring in one of the 747's engines, the airline said. The problem was fixed by the afternoon but the aircraft was forced to stay put overnight because the crew members' shift was due to end. The 386 passengers were sent home in taxis or ...Read More

AUSTRALIA is planning on banning older models of freighters because they are too noisy. “Marginally compliant aircraft are predominantly used in the airfreight industry and have been an ongoing source of concern for residents around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth airports,” said federal transport minister, Anthony Albanese. “These aircraft were certified to operate following modifications to meet aircraft noise standards issued in the 1970s. Most have been fitted with ‘hush kits’, which entitles them to a ‘marginally compliant’ rating under the 1977 ...Read More

By Ben Perry - AFP Airlines grounded as volcano ash spreads Passengers use any means to get home Weather service says ash could last all week MILLIONS of people face worsening travel chaos as a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland moves further south and east, forcing European countries to extend flight bans. Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano erupted on Wednesday, sending ash drifting towards Europe at an altitude of about eight to 10 kilometres. Europe's three biggest airports - Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt - were closed. ...Read More

Australian travellers stuck in airports have been told to expect delays of between two days and a week as volcanic ash from a volcano in Iceland closes airports across Europe. Qantas has cancelled five flights to the UK from Sydney (QF1, 31, 9, 5, 29) and is advising passengers on those flights not to come to Sydney airport and to check the airline's website. Qantas spokesman David Epstein is warning passengers it may take until Sunday until flights resume their normal schedule. ...Read More

BRITISH Airways World Cargo (BAWC) recorded a strong recovery in demand for February, with traffic up 9.2 per cent to 348 freight tonne kilometres. Additionally, BAWC’s load factor rose 3.4 per cent to 71.5 per cent. ...Read More

Kyla Ebbert, pictured with Richard Branson, was kicked off a Southwest flight due to her "skimpy" outfit / Reuters FROM wearing skimpy outfits to sniffing fellow passengers, travellers have been removed from planes for some strange reasons. Passengers won't be surprised to find out that joining the mile-high club or reading porn will get them kicked off their flight. But did you know discussing the safest seat or asking for water are offences that could easily have you holed up in airport ...Read More

JULIAN LEE - Out in the cold ... from next month Air France and KLM will make larger passengers pay an excess for a second seat Photo: Getty Images Airlines are waging a war on flab. Two international airlines are proposing to force overweight passengers to buy a second seat if they are unable to squeeze into a single one. From next month Air France and KLM will make its larger passengers pay 75 per cent of the cost of a second ...Read More

American Airlines has upped the ante in a bidding war with rival Delta Air Lines for a stake in Japan Airlines, which is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. American Airlines and its partners lifted their proposed investment in Asia’s biggest carrier to $US1.4 billion ($1.5 billion), from a previous offer of $US1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), the US carrier announced at a Tokyo news conference today. In addition, they will guarantee $US2 billion in revenue over the next three years if JAL ...Read More

LONDON (AFP) - London's High Court will rule Thursday over the legal action brought by British Airways to prevent a damaging cabin crew strike during the busy Christmas and New Year period. Judge Laura Cox began hearing BA's application on Wednesday for an injunction to block the planned industrial action by cabin crew between December 22 and January 2, in a deepening row over working conditions. British Airways had said Tuesday that it would mount a legal challenge to trade union Unite's ...Read More

It was the second time that an A380 was forced to turn around in mid-flight. An Air France A380 was forced to turn around and land in New York on Friday after problems with its navigation system, only days after the airline began flying the superjumbo across the Atlantic. The double-decker Airbus made a U-turn 90 minutes after takeoff from New York and landed safely at Kennedy Airport in the early hours on Saturday, an Air France spokesman told AFP on Monday. "The ...Read More

Air Austral, based in France's La Reunion, will become the first airline to fly planes carrying over 800 people after confirming an order for two Airbus A380 superjumbos earlier this week, industry sources said. The sources said a provisional order for two of the European planes worth some US$650 million (A$695 million) at list prices, placed in January, would was expected to be firmed up at the Dubai event. Airbus declined to comment. Air Austral is the first airline to order a no-frills ...Read More

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that JSC Euro-Asia Air of Kazakhstan has taken delivery of two AW139 medium twin helicopters during an official ceremony held at AgustaWestland's Vergiate plant in Italy, today. The aircraft were accepted by Mr. Askar Janzharkenov, President and Mr. Talgat Zholdybayev, First Vice-President of JSC Euro-Asia Air. These 15-seat offshore configured AW139s will be used to perform transport operations in Kazakhstan's section of the Caspian Sea. The delivery to JSC Euro-Asia Air, a ...Read More

Qantas A380 passengers were the first to roll on Los Angeles Airport's new taxiway. Qantas passengers aboard one of the Australian airline's new superjumbos have received a Hollywood-style red carpet welcome in Los Angeles. The passengers, flying in from Sydney, did not walk the traditional red carpet. Instead, they were the first to roll along Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) new $US88 million ($A106.76 million), 1km long, environmentally-friendly pervious concrete taxiway built to alleviate safety and congestion concerns at America's third busiest airport ...Read More

Another Qantas aircraft has had a mechanical problem, with an engine fault grounding a flight out of Brisbane Airport. QF15 was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles at 11am (AEST) last night when a problem was discovered with the wiring in one of the 747's engines, the airline said. The problem was fixed by the afternoon but the aircraft was forced to stay put overnight because the crew members' shift was due to end. The 386 passengers were sent home in taxis or ...Read More

BOEING has unexpectedly chosen not to renew Oregon-based Evergreen International’s five-year contract to operate the manufacturer’s four 747-400 Dreamlifters. Instead the contract goes to New York-based Atlas Air for nine years starting in September. The specially modified Dreamlifters are an integral part in the production of the 787 Dreamliner shipping parts from suppliers around the world to be assembled in the US. Boeing chose Evergreen in 2005 and even up to the New Year, according to Evergreen’s chairman, Tim Wahlberg, Boeing was ...Read More

American Airlines has upped the ante in a bidding war with rival Delta Air Lines for a stake in Japan Airlines, which is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. American Airlines and its partners lifted their proposed investment in Asia’s biggest carrier to $US1.4 billion ($1.5 billion), from a previous offer of $US1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), the US carrier announced at a Tokyo news conference today. In addition, they will guarantee $US2 billion in revenue over the next three years if JAL ...Read More

Boeing (NYSE: BA), on Thursday afternoon, towed the first 747-8 Freighter out of the factory in Everett, Wash. The airplane, ultimately destined for Cargolux, will be painted and begin preparations for flight test. “It is very rewarding to see this airplane transition to the flight test phase,” said Mo Yahyavi, 747 program vice president and general manager. “Our employees, suppliers and customers have put a lot of work into making the 747-8 Freighter a reality.” The 747-8 Freighter is the new high-capacity ...Read More

Yesterday, pilots across Europe protested over excessive flying times, which they claimed were putting passengers at risk. The British Airline Pilots' Association blamed new EU rules about flying hours for leaving their members "too tired to fly". Here, one British pilot, who asked to remain anonymous, explains the impact of the long-hours culture. WASHINGTON -- Labor is gaining clout inside the Federal Aviation Administration -- and hoping to do so elsewhere. Late last month, the FAA signed a three-year deal with the ...Read More

AUSTRALIA’S International Air Services Commission has awarded Qantas unlimited cargo capacity and frequency on its Korean route for 10 years. No other Australian carrier challenged the ruling. Qantas plans to operate a 747-400 freighter wet leased from Atlas Air on the weekly routing that will take in Sydney-Seoul (Incheon)-Anchorage-Chicago. Australian airfreight volume came in above expectations in December, an increase of 1.2 per cent to 773.6 million tonnes after falling 2.2 per cent in 2009. ...Read More

MANGALORE, India (Reuters) - An Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai crashed outside an airport in southern India on Saturday, killing 158 people when it burst into flames after overshooting the runway and plowing into a forest. There were only eight survivors after the Boeing 737-800, with 166 people on board including crew, appeared to have skidded off the runway in rain at Mangalore airport in Karnataka state, Air India director Anup Srivastava said. All the passengers were Indian nationals, an ...Read More

CRAIG PLATT - AirAsia X has become the first low-cost carrier to introduce flatbed seats to its aircraft. AirAsia X has become the first low-cost carrier in the world to introduce flatbed seats to its planes. The new premium offering features seats with a width of 20 inches (51 cm), 60-inch (152-cm) pitch and a length of 77 inches (195.5 cm) in full recline position. The news came as the airline also announced a fare sale for flights from Australia to London, with ...Read More

DESPITE previously vowing “we’ll be back”, Viva Macau has now admitted that it is winding down operations. The Civil Aviation Authority of Macau revoked the carrier’s air operator certificate (AOC), without any prior notice on 28 March due to a dispute over payment of fuel. Brisbane-based GSA Cargo Services, which dealt with Viva Macau’s cargo, reported that all freight had been returned to forwarders and that it was simply waiting for bookings to recommence. “The airline says it expects to recommence services by ...Read More

AIR India (AI), in an effort to recover its fortunes before it goes the same way as Japan Airlines, has just appointed Austrian Airlines’ executive vice-president flight operations, Gustav Baldauf, as chief operating officer. AI is currently running with a debt of over US$3.8 billion. Shortly before Baldauf’s appointment, AI also announced that it may scrap plans to make its cargo business an independent subsidiary. The carrier’s parent company, NACIL, had originally decided to create six ‘strategic business units’ for AI Cargo, AI ...Read More

AUSTRALIA has charged Korean Air Lines with airfreight price-fixing. This makes korean the twelfth airline to be targeted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC claims Korean not only fixed the price of its fuel surcharge between 2001 and 2006, but also a security surcharge and a customs fee. The agreements applied to Korea Indonesia and Hong Kong. The case will open on 1 April in the Australian Federal Court, Sydney. Meanwhile the ACCC’s cases against Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Garuda ...Read More

American Airlines has upped the ante in a bidding war with rival Delta Air Lines for a stake in Japan Airlines, which is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. American Airlines and its partners lifted their proposed investment in Asia’s biggest carrier to $US1.4 billion ($1.5 billion), from a previous offer of $US1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), the US carrier announced at a Tokyo news conference today. In addition, they will guarantee $US2 billion in revenue over the next three years if JAL ...Read More

MATT O'SULLIVAN QANTAS expects the investigation into its Vietnamese joint venture, Jetstar Pacific, to run for months. It emerged that the interrogation of its two Australian executives is the latest in a string of concerns raised by authorities recently. It has stoked suspicions that at least part of the communist-led Vietnamese Government opposes Qantas's investment in the country's second biggest airline. However, it is understood that a clause in Qantas's original contract in 2007 to buy into what was then Pacific Airlines could ...Read More

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that JSC Euro-Asia Air of Kazakhstan has taken delivery of two AW139 medium twin helicopters during an official ceremony held at AgustaWestland's Vergiate plant in Italy, today. The aircraft were accepted by Mr. Askar Janzharkenov, President and Mr. Talgat Zholdybayev, First Vice-President of JSC Euro-Asia Air. These 15-seat offshore configured AW139s will be used to perform transport operations in Kazakhstan's section of the Caspian Sea. The delivery to JSC Euro-Asia Air, a ...Read More

Best in the business? Business class on the Singapore Airlines A380. Photo: AFP Clive Dorman reports on an airline with full service and cheap fares. The term "price leader" is a magnet for consumers and is generally claimed by cut-price airlines on the prowl for new business. To hear it in the same sentence as "Singapore Airlines" not only signals value for passengers but also indicates we're living in extraordinary times. Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been chasing customers aggressively this year with ...Read More

Kate Schneider PASSENGERS who become ill during flights will receive better treatment due to new state-of-the-art equipment, an airline says. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced it will install new technology on its long haul aircraft that will monitor in detail the condition of ill passengers. The system, called Tempus IC, will allow cabin crew to gather vital information about a passenger’s health quickly. Information gathered by the system will be transmitted to a medical team of experts ...Read More

Spearheading a return to a healthy marketplace release date: 16th September 2009 Dubai, UAE. 16 September 2009 - The Dubai Airshow opens its doors on 15 November, promising more exhibition space, plus innovative and technically-advanced aircraft, equipment and systems from the world's leading players in the aerospace industry today. Running for five days, from 15 to 19 November at Airport Expo, the biennial airshow is the foremost aerospace event in the Middle East and the fastest growing in the world. With less than ten ...Read More

DUBAI – Another five-month delay in the the delivery of Airbus A380s is expected to hit growth at Emirates in 2010, the airline’s president Tim Clark said, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Wednesday. “Some of our route expansion plans will be impacted due to a further delay in the delivery of A380s. We wanted to put them back on the New York route, but that will be delayed by at least six months,” he said at the World Travel Market ...Read More

By Sarah Cowell - Oct 21 2009 With ITCA Dubai, the travel catering services exhibition, happening in November, we take a look at the issues shaping the air travel’s F&B industry. The Middle East and Dubai in particular, has become the region setting the standard for exceptional in-flight catering as highlighted by the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. Emirates was voted the top five best airline worldwide, and the World’s Best Airline Onboard Catering Awards featured the region’s key players in the ...Read More