There is a very ugly story breaking in Germany about management failures and project fiascos at the new Berlin-Brandenburg airport, writes Ben Sandilands.
Aviation industry
Dream of Dreamliner inches towards reality
It’s been a long wait, but Boeing is set to start flying Dreamliners to Melbourne and Sydney from Septemember, writes Ben Sandilands.
The truth about air safety in Australia: we’re more lucky than safe
The often excellent work achieved by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is let down by lapses that raise serious doubts about its consistency if not integrity on the subject of air safety in Australia, writes Ben Sandilands.
Why Australians hope carriers don’t follow Spirit
US and Latin America self-titled ‘ultra’ low-cost carrier Spirit has announced forthcoming $100 carry-on baggage fees. It’s a notion that would strike terror into the heart of most travellers, writes Ben Sandilands.
Jetstar in denial: safety comprised, inquiry needed
What does it take to compromise the safety of a Jetstar aircraft? Ground impact? Several hundred dead and injured? The company’s claims that a 2010 incident involving a texting pilot never comprised safety is nonsense, writes Ben Sandilands.
High speed rail is not the solution, O’Farrell
Barry O’Farrell is opposed to a second airport in Sydney and has a simplistic belief that a high speed rail link to Canberra is a sensible transport solution, writes Ben Sandilands.
Zooming in on the fine print of Qantas’ China Eastern proposal
In the rush to excite the markets and placate Qantas shareholders has anyone bothered to read the fine print about Alan Joyce’s plan to partner with China Eastern? Four words: ‘subject to regulatory approval’, writes Andrew Payne.
Sydney’s second airport site emerges from the flood
It’s been obvious for a long time that Badgery’s Creek or the adjacent Nepean site has long been unofficially recognised as the only answer to its urgent need for a second major airport, writes Ben Sandilands.
Air Australia collapses — and lies
Air Australia has gone bust stranding hundreds of people in Phuket and Honolulu, and placing some 4000 who are holding holding booked tickets in limbo. Plus, it’s being grubby with the truth, writes Ben Sandilands.
What would a second Sydney airport cost?
The widely accepted estimated figure for a second Sydney airport is $15 billion. But where the hell did this figure come from and accurate and reliable is it? asks Alan Davies.
L-3: the $15b defence contractor that will be scanning us
The company that will get $28 million for providing airport body scanners is a huge US defence contractor with a scandalous history.
The $28m pantomime of airport body scanners
Airport body scanners have no demonstrated value, but the government is spending $28 million on them.
Qantas mixes oil surcharges and carbon pricing as agents continue doing deals
It is intriguing to see the media regurgitate announced Qantas surcharges for oil prices and carbon taxes when deals have made them irrelevant in terms of international flights, writes Ben Sandilands.
Rating agency drops Qantas to one notch above junk status
Despite having a huge percentage of the domestic market Qantas is bleeding away its reputation, market share and effectiveness in international air transport, writes Ben Sandilands.
Why a smoking plane provided good news for Qantas
The diversion of a Qantas 767 to Mt Isa yesterday when smoke was smelled in the cockpit provides proof that the airline’s emergency drill procedure works, writes Ben Sandilands.
A reality check for the ‘everything is cheaper’ in China apologists
There is a parallel argument about the importance of China to the future of any Australian airline, and the last two Qantas CEOs have convincingly endorsed that.
Ice legends, polar heroes and planes
There have seen some superb insights into life in Antarctica in a series of reports by ABC journalist Karen Barlow, among them some glimpses of aviation in the icy region, writes Ben Sandilands.
Virgin Australia goes happy hours for the cheap seats
Virgin Australia did more than launch a class war with its nation wide business class, but a drinks war, with free alcohol for the cheap seats, writes Ben Sandilands.
Has Qantas been mislead on the 787, or is it just too dumb to know or care?
It is one thing for the media to witlessly parrot Boeing press releases about the super light weight benefits of 787 Dreamliner, but are the airlines really that stupid? asks Ben Sandilands.
Little Sydney and Mega-Melbourne: comparing airport ambitions
It speaks much for the centre of growth and vision in this country to compare the political difficulties that arise over plans for a 2nd Sydney Airport, and the general enthusiasm for a 3rd Melbourne Airport, writes Ben Sandilands.
Air France avoids the dead obvious in new plan
Air France KLM has released a summary of a new three year transformation plan to the end of 2014 to achieve profitability, but it doesn’t mention how its going to restore its dismal image, writes Ben Sandilands.
Media silly season shenanigans: a tax on fatty flyers?
Qantas chief economist Tony Webber is a worthy contender for best silly season story spawner for 2011-2012, writes Ben Sandilands.
Darwin, Jetstar and survival of the fittest
Jetstar has fired its no doubt first of many return shots following earlier announcements by Virgin Australia of their expansionary plans for Darwin-Sydney and Darwin-Singapore services, writes Ben Sandilands.
Is this Boeing’s most important project?
A biofuels research agreement between Boeing and the CSIRO is arguably the most important research effort being made in transport, writes Ben Sandilands.
