It is now 72 hours since a wrong report about Virgin Blue getting Boeing 777-200LRs in Air Transport World sent sites like Airliners.net into a frenzy of learned discussion.
This report also excited contacts in Qantas sufficiently for them to give it credence, and cause this report in Plane Talking. Except that I changed my [...]
Author Archives: Ben Sandilands
Incorrect if not fanciful reporting about Virgin Blue
November 8, 2009 – 7:54 am
Jetstar Pacific faces identity crisis
November 6, 2009 – 7:12 pm
Jetstar in Australia says it is ‘digesting’ a direction by the government of Vietnam to cease using the generic Jetstar brand and orange star logo next year on its Vietnamese controlled and based Jetstar Pacific franchise.
A spokesman for Jetstar says it was advised of the directive through the Ministry of Transport earlier [...]
V Australia looks at VVVery long range 777s, BUT ISN’T GETTING ANY JUST YET
November 6, 2009 – 5:45 pm
Uh oh. V Australia is now officially not about to order more Boeing 777s, either -300ERs, which it already has in service, or ultra long range -200LRs.
Earlier today even some finger-on-pulse sources in Qantas were of the view that V Australia is poised to acquire enough Boeing 777-200LRs to launch non-stop flights between Sydney and [...]
More talk from Airbus about plastic limits on new jets
November 6, 2009 – 5:54 am
Airbus has sent another signal that there are some plastic limits to its enthusiasm for advanced composites in new airliners after all.
Following John Leahy’s answers to Plane Talking’s inquiries in Sydney on Wednesday, November 4, this item is being carried by Bloomberg:
By Sabine Pirone
Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) — Airbus SAS, the world’s largest maker
of passenger jets, [...]
Tiger bites ‘roo, adds Melbourne-Brisbane flights
November 5, 2009 – 3:36 pm
Another Cityflyer route is being munched on by Tiger, this time Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Brisbane, up to three times daily from March 28.
A pattern is becoming apparent. The Singapore Airlines controlled low fare carrier is helping itself to the key Qantas high fare routes.
This isn’t just a pain for Qantas but further undermines the supposed [...]
Very Large Jets & Mega Cities, present & future
November 4, 2009 – 8:36 pm
Airbus sees some very different uses for its A380s emerging, including short haul high density regional routes, like Sydney-Melbourne, and low cost holiday migrations like those from Japan to Hawaii and Germany to the Caribbean.
Not tomorrow, but within two decades.
All in addition to the A380’s current inaugural roles as a full service flagship airliner plying [...]
Airbus on composites, some weight savings haven’t eventuated, but….
November 4, 2009 – 5:37 pm
Airbus chief operating officer customers, John Leahy shared some interesting thoughts about advanced composite structures in airliners in Sydney this morning.
But at the outset, he made it clear he wasn’t offering a judgement on whether they were better or worse than the use of aluminium alloys, nor announcing a metal A350 XWB or launching into [...]
Will air safety in Australia be reformed promptly, or after a disaster?
November 3, 2009 – 5:11 pm
Two safety critical issues arose today, in Crikey reports about a Qantas 767 descending too low with its wheels up as it approached Sydney last Monday, and about the informal relationship between Qantas and CASA and shoddy foreign maintenance.
They raise again the question as to whether the public administration of air safety in Australia is [...]
Air NZ chooses Airbuses to replace old Boeing 737s
November 3, 2009 – 11:38 am
Boeing can console itself with the near certainty of a large order for new jets from Virgin Blue in the coming weeks or months after this morning losing the contest to replace Air New Zealand’s aged fleet of Boeing 737-300s.
Air NZ has ordered 14 A320s to replace the 15 Boeings involved, and taken options on [...]
ATSB probes Qantas (767) and Jetstar (A330) serious incidents
November 2, 2009 – 7:16 pm
Two recent incidents officially rated as serious involving Jetstar and Qantas flights are under investigation by the ATSB.
The Jetstar incident, on October 28, may have involved an iced up pitot or external speed measuring device on an A330 which was flying from Tokyo to the Gold Coast.
The flight experienced an involuntarily autopilot disconnection and [...]
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