Virgin Australia yesterday unveiled its new International Business Class cabin, with the first of its refitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft now flying across the Pacific. The airline’s flagship Business Class product ‘The Business’, new Business Class Bar and Lounge, and refreshed Premium cabin will transform the customer experience on long haul flights from Australia to Los Angeles...
Virgin Australia has launched its revamped business and premium economy seats on its Boeing 777-300ERs, starting with services on the Sydney-Los Angeles route. The new business class layout features 37 B/E Aerospace Super Diamond lie-flat suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, with an 18in screen for in-flight entertainment. This brings it in line with the business class seats on its Airbus A330...
Eight of Asia’s low cost carriers, including Virgin Australia-owned budget subsidiary Tigerair Australia, have broken new ground in the no-frills sector, forging an LCC alliance aimed at giving members a significant boost in network spread and lifting their ability to increase revenue. Announced in Singapore today (Monday) and known as the Value Alliance, it is the world’s first pan-re...
The world's biggest plane has touched down safely in Western Australia amid scenes of traffic chaos around Perth Airport. Traffic was gridlocked around Perth Airport on Sunday morning as thousands of people lined up against fences, along road verges and on the side of the road in an attempt to get a glimpse of the Ukraine-built Antonov An-225 Mriya. The Antonov An...
Lease Corporation International (LCI), the aviation leasing arm of the Libra Group, has delivered the first new AW139 helicopter to Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service based in Australia. The aircraft is currently en route and will arrive at Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service's main base in Newcastle, New South Wales, in June to enable pilots along with rescue and medical crews to begin...
Etihad has cut the ribbon on its new premium lounge at Melbourne Airport. It is the airline’s second lounge in Australia, having opened its Sydney Airport lounge in March 2014. Featuring wide views of the airfield, the lounge is the largest in Etihad’s network outside Abu Dhabi at 800m2 and has enough seating for 133 passengers. It will be open three hours before Etihad’s t...
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker says Perth is the likely next Australian destination to receive the Airbus A350-900. Although Al Baker declined to say when Qatar’s Perth-Doha service – currently served with Boeing 777-300ERs – would switch to the A350, he noted late deliveries of the new Airbus widebody had pushed back some route chan...
Australia’s civil defence and civil security will be the subject of a new conference to be held in Melbourne at the end of May. The event, called CIVSEC 2016, is being organised by the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia (AMDA), which is also behind the Avalon Airshow, Pacific Maritime Exposition and Land Forces. AMDA chief executive Ian Honnery said CIVSEC wou...
Adelaide has welcomed Australia’s first scheduled Airbus A350-900 passenger flight, with Qatar Airways QR914 touching down in the City of Churches a few minutes before 1600 local time on Tuesday. The inaugural service, operated by A7-ALH, covered the 6,109nm journey between Doha and Adelaide in a little under 13 hours and landed about an hour ahead of schedule. The aircraft was due to...
Virgin Australia says the airline group is on track for a full year profit despite a forecast second half loss amid weak demand in its key domestic market that has prompted capacity cuts focused on regional routes. The company reported a statutory loss after tax of $58.8 million for the three months to March 31, compared with $28.3 million loss in the prior corresponding period. Virgin said the...
The A380 superjumbo that flew almost empty. I thought the days of chancing a half-empty international flight were grounded for good once computers replaced humans in making sure aeroplane seats were filled. But the gods who look after economy passengers smiled down on us on Wednesday last week when Qantas flight QF93 developed a bit of tummy trouble, putting its 9.30am departure from Melbour...
A QANTAS plane bound for Perth was grounded in Melbourne on Saturday night for hours after a terror threat email was apparently sent to passengers. Up to 50 passengers disembarked after the security scare. Flight QF481 was due to take off at 6.50pm, but a middle-aged Perth woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was delayed after a few passengers received an email threat about the flig...
