Fri, Mar 30, 2007
Purchases More A320s; Mainline Operation Moves 767 To Domestic
Routes
Australian carrier Qantas -- involved in a full blown war
between its low cost JetStar subsidiary, and rivals Virgin Blue and
newcomer Tiger Airways -- made a move Thursday to assert dominance
in the segment.
The airline committed to buy an additional nine Airbus A320s at
a cost of over $600 million US, on top of its December order for
four Airbus A330-200s and eight Airbus A380 superjumbos. Qantas CEO
Geoff Dixon said the deliveries, along with some further shuffling
of its mainline fleet, will boost both Jetstar's position against
its rivals, as well as Qantas' domestic operations.
"Four Boeing 767-300 aircraft from our international fleet that
were due to be sold from mid-2007 will now be transferred to
domestic operations," said Dixon (shown below). "The additional
capacity for both Jetstar and Qantas, along with previously announced plans for
QantasLink, should enable the Qantas Group to maintain
its 65 per cent share of the Australian domestic market."
Dixon has also asserted the additional aircraft will allow
Jetstar to grow some of its most popular leisure routes, including
Cairns, Gold Coast, Perth and the Northern Territory.
"Jetstar will also use the new aircraft to look at new
destinations within Australia," said Dixon.
The purchase comes as a controversial takeover bid
for Qantas is due to close next month. Reuters reports the
takeover bid by Airline Partners Australia Consortium remains
uncertain, after a key shareholder said last week it would vote
against the offer.
The consortium is now talking to banks financing the deal, about
whether it can drop a 90-percent acceptance condition on the
A$5.45-per-share bid.
More News
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: JAARS, Inc. For decades now, we’ve landed planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains. We’ve outfitted boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely se>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]