Page 13 - AA 2018_11

Debrief

The United Kingdom is considering
buying Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne
early warning and control (AEW&C)
aircraft to replace the RAF’s seven
ageing E-3D Sentry aircraft. Defence
Minister Christopher Pyne said the
UK had confirmed it was in discussion
with Boeing and the RAAF about
acquiring Wedgetail, six of which are
in service with Williamtown-based
2 Squadron. Minister Pyne and
Defence Industry Minister Steve
Ciobo said this would further deepen
Australia’s relationship with the
UK and was an endorsement of a
crucial part of Australia’s air combat
capability.
–
The first series production aircraft
from Embraer’s KC-390 airlifter
program completed its maiden flight
on October 9. Although the KC-390
flight test program has logged some
1,900 flight hours since it began in
2015, the two aircraft being used are
prototypes. Embraer said the first that will operate twice a week with Perth to Hong Kong, as well as from The RAAF has taken delivery of
series production aircraft will also join Boeing 737-800s during a six-week Hong Kong to Bangalore, Chennai, its ninth F-35A. usaf
the flight test program. period between December 13 2018 Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai in India,
and January 26 2019. The airline is Colombo in Sri Lanka, Yangon in
AIRPORTS NEWS also adding 27,000 more seats out of Myanmar and Danang, Hanoi and
A private consortium called AirRail the Gold Coast during the Christmas Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In
Melbourne comprising fund manager travel period with more flights to turn, Cathay Pacific will add its CX
IFM Investors, Melbourne Airport, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and airline code on select Qantas domestic
Metro Trains Australia (the operator Sydney, as well as across the Tasman services from Adelaide, Brisbane,
of Melbourne’s metropolitan rail to Auckland. Cairns, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
network) and Southern Cross - –
Station, which is owned, operated The Australian Transport Safety The Qantas Boeing 747-400/400ER
and maintained by IFM under a Board (ATSB) has found a Virgin fleet is down to single digits after the
public-private partnership with the Australia Boeing 737-800 came within retirement of VH-OJT. The aircraft
Victorian government, has made a five metres of a runway excursion named Fraser Island operated its last
pitch to build the proposed $15 billion after landing at Christchurch Airport revenue service in Qantas colours
rail link between the Melbourne CBD because pilots did not configure the on Saturday September 22, when
and Tullamarine airport. It would aircraft properly for a wet arrival in it took off from Brisbane as QF55.
contribute $5 billion to building the May 2015. The ATSB final report Following a few final checks at Los
airport rail link, matching the funding said the pilots of flight VA134 from Angeles, VH-OJT was ferried to
commitments of both the Victorian Sydney to Christchurch, operated by Mojave Air and Space Port Airport on
and federal governments towards the 737-800 VH-VOP, “misperceived the September 25. Figures from Qantas
project. runway surface conditions”, believing showed VH-OJT, MSN25565 and
– it was damp when it was actually wet. LN1233, completed about 9,300
Construction on Sydney’s long- “As a result, the crew established the cycles and racked up about 90,000
awaited second airport kicked off aircraft’s landing performance based flight hours in its near two-decade
at Badgerys Creek in the city’s west on a dry rather than a wet runway flying career with the airline. The An artist’s rendering of the
on September 24 2018 with Prime and the expected Runway 29 landing remaining nine 747s are due to be Melbourne Airport station for the
Minister Scott Morrison surveying performance was not achieved,” the withdrawn by the end of 2020. proposed AirRail rail link. airrail
the scene before him and declaring ATSB final report said.
“how good is this”. The arrival of
bulldozers for earthmoving works is QANTAS GROUP NEWS
the latest milestone in a project that Qantas and Cathay Pacific have
is due to be completed by 2026. The announced a codeshare agreement
initial earthworks were to prepare the that covers 13 Australian domestic
ground for the eventual runway and routes, two Australia-Hong Kong
terminal construction. routes and 10 routes from Hong
Kong to India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA GROUP NEWS and Vietnam. Under the new
Virgin Australia is boosting its arrangements, Qantas will add its
network from the Gold Coast with a QF airline code on Cathay Pacific-
new seasonal nonstop service to Perth operated flights from Cairns and
NOVEMBER 2018 13