http://www.flightglobal.comen-gbTue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223594/boeing-secures-over-130-orders-for-upgrade-package-for-older-model-777s.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223594/boeing-secures-over-130-orders-for-upgrade-package-for-older-model-777s.htmlA quarter of operators of older Boeing 777s have purchased a new performance improvement package that should boost...Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223640/ipod-integration-part-of-new-ife-at-air-new-zealand.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223640/ipod-integration-part-of-new-ife-at-air-new-zealand.html Allowing passengers to play music and video content from their own Apple iPod players over installed in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems is one of several features that will be offered onboard Air New Zealand aircraft in the near-term. The carrier has opted to equip 13 Airbus A320s and five Boeing 767s with Panasonic’s X Series IFE systems. In addition to iPod integration, the IFE platform from August will offer video and audio on demand (AVOD), moving map, games, USB media player, and other entertainment options. As Air New Zealand’s long-term strategy evolves, advanced functionality can easily be added to the system, says Panasonic. “The Panasonic X Series meets our needs because of its capability and reliability. It was also important that the systeTue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223605/futura-gets-europes-first-737-900ers.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223605/futura-gets-europes-first-737-900ers.htmlFutura International Airways has received the first two Boeing 737-900ERs to enter European service. The deliveries...Tue, 13 May 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223581/heavylift-cargo-airlines-buys-ozjet.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/13/223581/heavylift-cargo-airlines-buys-ozjet.html Australian entrepreneur Paul Stoddart has sold Australian airline OzJet to Sydney-based HeavyLift...Tue, 13 May 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223637/aaib-restriction-to-the-fuel-flow-caused-the-uncommanded-power-reduction-that-led-ba-777-to-crash-land-at-heathrow.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223637/aaib-restriction-to-the-fuel-flow-caused-the-uncommanded-power-reduction-that-led-ba-777-to-crash-land-at-heathrow.html AAIB: Restriction to the fuel flow appears to have caused the uncommanded power reduction that led a British Airways Boeing 777-200 to crash-land at Heathrow Restriction to the fuel flow between the fuel tanks and the engine fuel pumps appears to have caused the uncommanded power reduction that led a British Airways Boeing 777-200 to crash-land 300m short of the runway at London Heathrow airport on 17 January, according to a just-released Air Accident Investigation Branch interim statement. But the AAIB makes it clear it has, so far, found no evidence of a physical obstruction in the fuel lines, although there are signs that the fuel pressure at the inlet to the engine high pressure (HP) fuel pumps had dropped because the pumps showed signs of “unusMon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223635/pictures-first-images-of-qantas-a380-cabin-interior.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223635/pictures-first-images-of-qantas-a380-cabin-interior.html The first images have been released of Qantas's A380 cabin...Mon, 12 May 2008 16:30:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223606/headline-briefings.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223606/headline-briefings.htmlFinmeccanica 'poised for major US buy' DEFENCE Speculation is rife that Italian defence and aerospace group Finmeccanica is poised to make what would...Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223580/mihin-lanka-closes.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223580/mihin-lanka-closes.htmlSri Lanka's second state-owned carrier Mihin Lanka has suspended all its operations, but hopes to resume services to all its destinations in June. Mihin...Mon, 12 May 2008 14:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223603/gulf-air-names-new-chairman-and-appoints-ex-ba-exec-to-board.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/12/223603/gulf-air-names-new-chairman-and-appoints-ex-ba-exec-to-board.html Bahrain’s Government has appointed Talal Al-Zain as chairman of flag-carrier Gulf Air, succeeding Mahmood Al-Kooheji. Al-Zain is the chief executive of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s investment division, Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, and was formerly at financial firms Investcorp and Chase Manhattan.Former British Airways flight operations director Lloyd Cromwell Griffiths has also been appointed to the Gulf Air board.Gulf Air’s board of directors includes Jawad Habib Jawad, Adel Kanoo, Mohammed Farooq Al-Moayyad, Khalid Omar Al-Romaihi, and Mustafa Al Sayed. Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/09/223577/former-qantas-exec-gets-8-months-jail-for-price-fixing.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/09/223577/former-qantas-exec-gets-8-months-jail-for-price-fixing.html A former senior Qantas Airways executive has agreed to plead guilty and spend eight months in jail for taking part in an international cargo price-fixing conspiracy that is still being investigated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ says in a statement that Bruce McCaffrey, former Qantas VP of freight for the Americas, has agreed to plead guilty, spend eight months in jail and pay a criminal fine of $20,000 “for participating in a conspiracy to fix rates for international air cargo shipments”. McCaffrey is the first person to be charged in the DOJ’s ongoing investigation of price-fixing in international air cargo shipments. Late last year Qantas agreed to plead guilty and pay a $61 million criminal fine for price-fixing related to its air cargo operations. British Airways, Japan Airlines and Korean Air have also paid fines and many otherFri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/09/223576/isle-of-man-carrier-euromanx-suspends-operations.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/09/223576/isle-of-man-carrier-euromanx-suspends-operations.html Isle of Man-based regional EuroManx has this morning announced it is ceasing operations, citing increased fuel costs and reduced passenger numbers. EuroManx, which operated a pair of Bombardier Dash 8 turboprops, has been flying for the last five years on domestic routes from the Isle of Man. But a statement on 9 May says it is ceasing operations and will operate no further flights. © Simon Murdoch A EuroFri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223564/video+pictures-finnair-a319-to-carry-retro-finnish-airlines-livery.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223564/video+pictures-finnair-a319-to-carry-retro-finnish-airlines-livery.html Finnair is to follow the trend for retro colour schemes by painting an Airbus A319 in a 1950s livery. Chief executive Jukka Hienonen revealed the plan, which will mark the airline's 85th anniversary, at a briefing in Helsinki today. © Finnair Finnair's retro 1950s livery The aircraft will carry the blue-striped 'Finnish Airlines' colours and will begin flights at the end of July. Cabin crew will also be dressed in uniforms from the pThu, 08 May 2008 16:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223539/icelandair-cargo-chief-resigns.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223539/icelandair-cargo-chief-resigns.html Icelandair Cargo managing director Petur Eiriksson has resigned from his post at the head of the freight division. He is stepping down after leading the company since it was founded eight years ago. Icelandair Cargo has just decided against acquiring a batch of Airbus A330-200 freighters and Eiriksson says that, while he supports the decision, he believes the new strategy requires a new leader. Eiriksson, who has been with Icelandair Group and Flugleidir for 26 years, will take a seat on the Icelandair Cargo board. No successor has yet been named. Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news Thu, 08 May 2008 13:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223536/easyjet-looks-to-convert-some-a319-orders-to-a320s.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223536/easyjet-looks-to-convert-some-a319-orders-to-a320s.html UK budget carrier EasyJet is to accelerate its Boeing 737 phase-out and open negotiations with Airbus over converting some of its A319 orders to the larger A320 variant. London Luton-headquartered EasyJet, which today posted a £57.5 million ($113.4 million) pre-tax interim loss, is making the changes to drive down its aircraft ownership costs and counter spiralling fuel prices. It says: “The decision has been taken to accelerate the phasing out of the higher cost Boeing 737 fleet and the rationalisation of the expensive GB Airways sub-fleet.” EasyJet’s fleet includes 30 737-700s on operating lease, but its 112 Airbus A319s form the backbone of its operation. GB Airways’ former fleet comprises nine Airbus A320s and six A321s, giving EasyJet experienceThu, 08 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223524/dnata-ties-up-with-dubais-empire-aviation-to-offer-luxury-air-travel.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/08/223524/dnata-ties-up-with-dubais-empire-aviation-to-offer-luxury-air-travel.html Emirates Group's ground services division Dnata is expanding its business jet charter business...Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223525/maxjet-to-be-reinvented-as-luxury-charter-service.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223525/maxjet-to-be-reinvented-as-luxury-charter-service.html All-premium transatlantic carrier Maxjet is to start services as a "luxury" charter service. The grounded carrier...Wed, 07 May 2008 15:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223183/bombardier-wins-maintenance-business-from-skywest.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223183/bombardier-wins-maintenance-business-from-skywest.html US regional operator SkyWest inked a deal with Bombardier Services Corporation for heavy maintenance of the Bombardier CRJ aircraft operated by its subsidiaries SkyWest and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). The 10-year deal covers 222 CRJ-200/700/900 aircraft flown by Utah-based SkyWest and 110 CRJ-200s in the fleet of ASA. Bombardier plans to perform the work on SkyWest’s aircraft at the Bombardier Aircraft Services facility in Tucson, Arizona while maintenance on ASA’s CRJ-200s will occur at the airframer’s maintenance facility in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Financial termsWed, 07 May 2008 10:46:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223509/austrian-ceo-rejects-new-saudi-investors-allegations.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/07/223509/austrian-ceo-rejects-new-saudi-investors-allegations.htmlAustrian CEO rejects new Saudi investor's allegationsWed, 07 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/06/223470/good-week-bad-week.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/06/223470/good-week-bad-week.htmlEOS The all-premium London Stansted-New York JFK carrier filed for Chapter 11 and called in the receivers after failing to close the deal on a $50 million...Tue, 06 May 2008 13:00:00 GMThttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/06/223461/openskies-757-emerges.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2008/05/06/223461/openskies-757-emerges.htmlThe first Boeing 757-200 for British Airways' new OpenSkies division has emerged from the paint shop equipped with Aviation Partners winglets. The airline,...Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT