The Week in Brief 4 August 2011

Virgin Australia will put the first of its forthcoming ATR turboprops into service on significant east-coast routes from October. The ATR 72-500 aircraft will provide a double-daily weekday return service between Brisbane and Gladstone, a daily return service between Brisbane and Pt Macquarie, a double-daily service between Sydney and Pt Macquarie andup to six daily return services between Sydney and Canberra. As already announced, Skywest will operate and maintain the ATRs but with the Virgin Australia brand and product.

And Virgin Australia's trans-Pacific flights are turning in great numbers, according to the latest stats delivered by the BITRE this week. The airline's outbound flights to the US had a load factor of 93.2 per cent during May, compared to Qantas' 87.2 per cent and UA's 83.1 per cent.

North Queensland Airports has appointed Kevin Brown as its new CEO, replacing Stephen Gregg, who has moved into an advisory role on tourism and aviation strategy. Kevin Brown, who will start in October, has held senior management positions at Heathrow, Aberdeen, Southhampton and Edinburgh airports

IATA's traffic numbers for June reveal a "slight softening in demand for both air travel and freight", with pax numbers up 4.4 per cent  and freight three per cent lower. IATA says that "the slowdown reflects slower economic growth and increased costs resulting from higher jet fuel prices and increased taxation (in some countries)". Asia Pacific was weaker than usual, including a load factor of just 64.7 per cent, with the softness attributed to "tightening economic policies and the effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan".

The Star Alliance has walked away from a planned integration of Air India into the alliance, saying succinctly that the carrier "has not met the minimum joining conditions that were contractually agreed in December 2007". Star talks of 'suspension' rather than an abandonment of the integration, but there's plenty to read between the lines.

A new awards program has been announced by New Zealand's Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation, to "recognise the achievements of people who have shown an outstanding commitment to completing ATTTO training...". Amongst the categories announced are Apprentice of the Year and Aviation Trainee of the Year. Nominations, which close 26 August, can be made at www.attto.org.nz/awards 

Rolls-Royce will supply M250-B17F/2 turboprop engines for the GA-10, a new 10-passenger fixed-wing aircrfat from the Mahindra-owned GippsAERO. Rolls-Royce says it will work with GippsAERO to obtain certification for the GA10, which is currently in the prototype design phase. Certification is due to begin in March 2012 and EIS is scheduled for 2013. The manufacturer believes that sales could reach 20 aircraft per year, with an emphasis on India, ASia and Europe.

The FAA has asked engine manufacturer GE to modify the engines for Boeing's 787 and 747-8, because small amounts of raw fuel have been emitted after shutdown. GE has described the job as "a minor hardware change" and said it will be fitted to new aicraft from the end of next year and retrofitted to earlier aircraft by the end of 2014.

The ATSB is looking into another descent below minimum altitude in Melbourne airspace, this time by a Thai Airways B777 just last week. Apparently the aircraft got down to 1000 ft over Sunshine North, where the minimum altitude is 2000ft. Why are these incidents all happening in Melbourne airspace?

Boeing has delivered a 737-700 with special high-altitude performance, to China's Xiamen Airlines. A new engine thrust rating provides additional
payload capability at high altitude airports and in hot conditions, important for operations in the Tibetan plateau. Among other features that benefit airline operations, the package also includes an extended duration oxygen system and equipment designed for the enhanced navigation requirements at high altitude airports.