Emirates, Etihad to boost screening on Australia flights

Emirates and Etihad airlines will tighten screening for passengers flying to Australia this week after the country imposed new requirements for enhanced explosives detection, the UAE companies said Monday. Australia on Friday announced it would increase screening of passenger baggage on flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Doha, Qatar. (www.msn.com) More...

Virgin and Optus do in-flight Internet deal

Gogo is an established player in the aircraft internet business and has an established reputation for delivering the technology. In contrast, Qantas was leaning on the Skymuster satellite service that is part of the NBN. As a regular flyer, I'd be happy to have Internet access, if only to chip away at a few emails and to easily access the cloud services I rely on for work. But I hope this isn't the start of people conducting video-conferences on planes. (www.msn.com) More...

UK-Irish air traffic controllers collaborate to reduce delays and airline fuel burn

Irish air traffic controllers, working with their counterparts in the UK, have implemented an advanced system which significantly reduces delays for aircraft and passengers travelling into London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest hub airport. The significant enhancement to the existing ‘XMAN’ (Cross-Border Arrival Management) initiative will reduce the length of time that aircraft hold at Heathrow, delivering significant fuel and CO2 emission savings to airlines. (www.iaa.ie) More...

7ft tall athlete deemed too tall to fly

This is the moment armed police arrive on board a plane to haul a seven-foot (or 213cm, if you were born post-1980) volleyball player off a plane - for being too tall. The uniformed officers have an animated conversation with the man, who clearly isn't too impressed about being unceremoniously hauled off. Even sitting down, he's the same height as the cops, and when they eventually get him onto his feet, you really start to understand just how imposing his height is. (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...

Colombia on New Zealand's radar following air services deal

New Zealand has signed an air services agreement with Colombia and is making progress in a range of deals that will make it easier to travel to countries in Central America, Africa and Europe. Negotiations are also under way with China, where the maximum number of flights has almost been reached and more Chinese airlines are ''banging on the door'', said Transport Minister Simon Bridges. (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...

Hong Kong Airlines the latest new airline to land in Auckland

The newest airline to enter the New Zealand market lands this week and has announced plans to boost capacity before its first flight. Hong Kong Airlines will begin regular daily services to Auckland on Friday and will increase this by three a week for two months over the summer high season from December 11. Daniel Yuen Chun Yu, the airline's New Zealand country manager, said there had been a very strong market response. The airline, which last week sold some return Auckland-Hong Kong fares… (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...

Tigerair Australia strikes Asian alliances

Virgin Australia’s budget airline, Tigerair Australia, has formed a new alliance with seven peers in Asia, aimed at boosting passenger numbers and cutting airfares. Tigerair chief executive Rob Sharp said the creation of the world’s largest low-cost carrier alliance will “deliver significant benefits” for its customers. “Tigerair Australia customers will be able to view, select and book the best available fares and optional extras like meals and seat selection from any partner airline in a… (www.theaustralian.com.au) More...

Flight turned back after bird strike

An Air New Zealand flight was forced to turn around after striking a bird this morning. NZ5264, an ATR aircraft, departed Nelson Airport at 7.50am. An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said it returned to Nelson after striking a bird. It was inspected by engineers and departed again about 9.05am. The turbo-prop ATR aircraft has 68 seats. (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...

New Zealand tourist operators in Berlin at world's biggest travel trade show

A group of New Zealand tourist businesses have been targeting key European markets at the biggest travel expo in the world during the past five days. A group of around 15 businesses including Rotorua's Te Puia, Jucy rentals Hobbiton and Air New Zealand have been exhibiting to around 1000 travel buyers and 120,000 visitors at International Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Berlin. (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...

‘Small players in macabre game’: 5 things we learnt from MH17 inquest

AN INQUEST into the MH17 crash has acknowledged the anguish of families forced to repeatedly relive the last moments of their loved ones ever since the tragedy. Their latest ordeal came as they watched a graphic reconstruction of the moment a missile hit the Malaysia Airlines flight at Glebe Coroner’s Court in Sydney today. Of 298 who died in the crash, 38 were Australian citizens or permanent residents. NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes made these key points as he presented his findings today:… (www.couriermail.com.au) More...