Qantas returned to the top of the punctuality table in September, ending Virgin Australia’s three-month run as the nation’s most on-time domestic carrier. Figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) show Qantas had the highest percentage of on-time arrivals in September, with 91.8 per cent of its domestic flights reaching their destination wit...
China Airlines has commenced services to Melbourne and Christchurch from its Taipei hub. Flight CI57, pictured above, touched down at Christchurch Airport just before 1900 local time on Monday evening. The Skyteam member is operating a Taipei-Melbourne-Christchurch routing three times a week with Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline will have local pickup rights on the Melbourne-Christchurch se...
Virgin Australia will move into its new terminal at Perth Airport on November 22, the airport and airline have confirmed. The much-delayed shift to the Terminal 1 domestic pier consolidates Virgin’s operations from three separate terminals currently to the one facility. In addition to having access to more departure gates, Virgin is also unveiling new checkin kiosks and bag-drop s...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss says the government plans to release a new training program designed to assist regional airports better manage their security processes. Slated to begin in 2016, the new regional aviation security awareness training package would be available to the 150-odd security controlled airports in small, lower ri...
Etihad Airways’ flagship Airbus A380 will touch down in Melbourne in June 2016. The Victorian capital will be the airline’s second Australian port and fourth destination overall to receive A380 services, after the double decker superjumbo debuted on the Abu Dhabi-Sydney route in June 2015. The move represented a 26 per cent increase in capacity between Melbourne and Abu Dhab...
Qantas is expecting to deliver a bumper 2015/16 first half profit as the airline group benefits from lower fuel prices and its cost-cutting initiatives amid modest capacity growth in both the domestic and international market and a mixed Australian economy. The positive outlook statement was provided to shareholders by Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce at the airline group’s annual genera...
Virgin Australia’s regional arm is disposing of its eight Fokker 50s and adding four Fokker 100s and an Airbus A320 as part of fleet and operational changes in Western Australia. The 46-seat Fokker 50s have been used to serve West Australian government regulated routes to Albany, Esperance and Ravensthorpe in the state’s south west, as well as regular public transport (RPT) flights...
Aviation enthusiasts will be in for a treat in November when American Airlines brings its flagship Boeing 777-300ER to Sydney for a flying visit ahead of its resumption of service to Australia. The aircraft is scheduled to land at Sydney on the morning of Friday, November 13, a statement from alliance partner Qantas said on Thursday. American and Qantas are inviting aviation, corporate and s...
With a new uniform and a significant investment into its customer-facing and backend IT systems, Virgin Australia-owned low-cost carrier Tigerair is hoping to change passengers’ perceptions of the airline. “Our flights have never been consistently more punctual, our customer service never stronger and our customer satisfaction levels are now at an all-time high. It’s tim...
Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti is joining the board of bottler Coca-Cola Amatil in December. It will be Borghetti’s fourth non-Virgin directorship, as he is currently on the board of Energy Australia, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and NSW Customer Advisory Board. He also sits on the Virgin Australia board. CCA noted Borghetti, who has been in his current role as Vir...
The federal government has released the draft airport plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, paving the way for construction to begin in 2016. The documents cover indicative flight paths, noise contours, the building requirements for stage one of the airport’s development and the long term vision for the facility. Deputy...
Qantas says it will add a second retro-jet to its fleet in November when it unveils another Boeing 737-800 in one of the airline’s historic liveries as part of its 95-year anniversary celebrations. The airline hopes the second ‘Retro Roo’, which will feature one of Qantas’s 12 historic liveries since 1920, will spark a “fresh wave of Australian aviation nostal...
