A Strange Request from Australia Ambassador

Ian David Grainge Biggs Australia's Ambassador to Ankara, Bursa and wanted to start its flights direct flights to Australia.

Alitalia sells to KLM?

According to the French press, the French and the Dutch subsidiary, the Italian company aims to take 25 per cent stake. This week is expected to be made public in the decision.

 Significant loss in the year 2012 covering the Italian company, in order to achieve more resilient economically announced sale of shares can go.

 The flow of hot money of 300 million euros in the first place the Italian company is reported to be in need.

Victoria's maintenance plans take off

THE Victorian government is already focusing on aviation work from alternatives such as the Boeing 787 as Qantas reviews its jumbo jet heavy maintenance facility at Victoria's Avalon.The airline was expected to start talks with unions this week over the fate of 59 Qantas staff and 253 contractors whose futures are uncertain because of a diminishing workload at Avalon.The airline, which indicated as far back as last year that it planned to consolidate its heavy maintenance in Brisbane, said it would have periods averaging up to three months each year when there would be no scheduled maintenance at the facility.The problem stems from the fact the airline has been retiring its older Boeing 747s and replacing them with newer Airbus A380 and A330 aircraft. It had 36 Boeing 747s in 2004 but now has only 15, and this number will fall to 10 in three years. A330s are maintained in Brisbane and the Avalon work will not be replaced by heavy maintenance on A380s because the fleet is considered too small.Heavy maintenance on the 787s will not be required until well into next decade but the Victorian government is keen to get lighter forms of maintenance done on the advanced planes in the state.Qantas recently announced it would create up to 10 new jobs at maintenance and training facilities in Melbourne as the airline prepares for the arrival early next month of the first Jetstar 787.Victorian Aviation Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips said the state government would work with the airline on options, including the possibility of bringing overflow work to Avalon."My understanding from the discussions with Qantas is they haven't made a decision and they haven't closed options off and they are willing to look at additional work into that facility," Mr Rich-Phillips said. "So that's where we will engage them on what the possibilities are there."But Mr Rich-Phillips said the government was also looking at alternatives to the 747 work, which it recognised had a finite lifespan. This included work on any Qantas 787s the group might take on in addition to the Jetstar fleet. "Likewise in June we had AMSA (Aircraft Maintenance Services Australia), the Singapore Airlines engineering company local spin-off, announce an additional 100 jobs going into maintenance in Melbourne airport, which we assisted in securing," he said. "And there's at least one other prospect in the pipeline that's not public at this stage."Unions were due to start talks with Qantas this week and fear the Avalon jobs could go overseas

Threat to 300 Qantas jobs at Avalon

QANTAS unions are worried more than 300 highly skilled maintenance jobs could be exported overseas.

Dreamliner to create 100 Melbourne jobs

QANTAS has named Melbourne as the site of Boeing 787 Dreamliner maintenance and training facilities that will create up to 100 jobs.

The airline said yesterday that a 787 flight simulator will be installed at the group's flight training centre at Airport West as Jetstar prepares to take delivery of the group's first 787-8 at the end of next month. Source:The Australian

John Holland Aviation Services Axed Engineer Job

JOHN Holland Aviation Services in Melbourne has axed 40 engineering jobs after losing heavy maintenance work from Virgin Australia.

Virgin says its younger fleet has reduced its heavy maintenance requirements. It is also taking additional maintenance work in-house and working more closely with equity partner Air New Zealand.

Get with it, CASA: ease 'airplane mode' rules

"WE are now preparing the aircraft for takeoff. Please ensure your seatbelt is fastened, your seat is fully upright and that all mobile phones, iPads, other tablets or electronic devices are completely switched off and not simply switched to 'airplane mode'."
Every Australian airline traveller has heard this dictum, or something like it, repeated ad nauseam and seen the flight attendants prowling the aisles in the seemingly endless wait for takeoff, seeking to spot some bolshie type with an iPad or Kindle e-reader screen still glowing.
Source:theaustralian