Qantas and the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) have commenced negotiations on a new enterprise bargaining agreement for the airline’s long haul pilots, with AIPA highlighting job security and progression as the major points of concern. “An extensive survey of pilots conducted by AIPA prior to commencing the bargaining process has found that their
The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE) Domestic Air Fare Index for August shows that discount fares have dropped compared to the same time last year, while business fares have risen slightly. The index for best discount airfares came in at 57.2 for the month, compared to 61.0 in August 2009. The index
A Qantas Airbus A380 operating a flight bound for Sydney was forced to divert to Noumea on August 11, making it the first A380 to visit New Caledonia. “It’s a first for us,” William Grillon, deputy head of operations at the Noumea airport told the ABC. “But we were ready to receive this large aircraft,
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice of proposed rule making which would require operators of Boeing 747-400s to modify the wiring of the aircraft’s flap control unit (FCU) following cases of inadvertent flap retraction on some 747s. The proposed airworthiness directive comes from an investigation into an uncommanded flap retraction of
Dubai Aersopace Enterprise (DAE) has slashed a number of orders for new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus as the state owned aviation conglomerate struggles to break through from Dubai’s financial woes. According to an update to Boeing’s orders and deliveries website, DAE appears to have cancelled orders for 10 777-300ERs and 15 787-8s. Similarly it
Australian pilot Matt Hall had a strong performance to finish third in the final leg of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Lausitz, Germany, over the August 7-8 weekend, while Briton Paul Bonhomme secured the 2010 championship title. The race was won by Austrian race pilot Hannes Arch, with Bonhomme taking second
