Ben Sandilands
Editor of Plane Talking @PlaneTalking
Ben Sandilands has reported and analysed the mechanical mobility of humanity since late 1960 - the end of the age of great scheduled ocean liners and coastal steamers and the start of the jet age. He’s worked in newspapers, radio and TV in a wide range of roles as a journalist at home and abroad for 56 years, the last 18 freelance.
The first of two former Emirates A330-200s for Virgin Australia arrived at Melbourne’s main airport at Tullamarine on the weekend, a completely white jet, still awaiting its branding, writes Ben Sandilands.
fter the shocks that emerged in a Senate committee hearing last Friday concerning pilot training and airline safety in Australia, the inquiry has been extended to May 4.
After droning on for minutes about how Qantas's safety "is our number one concern", its CEO Alan Joyce was rattled before a Senate inquiry into pilot and airline training this morning.
Who would have thought that a space odyssey could begin with an announcement of a new rocket ride "thrill trip" venture and end up in an underwear collection?
If it wasn’t for some nastiness in Virgin Blue concerning the undesirability of pregnant employees, its new CEO John Borghetti would be having a pretty good day.
Qantas kept its dividends grounded today while profits soared fourfold in the six months to December 31, 2010 to a net $241 million.
The pilot union AIPA has called on the federal government to pursue an apparent attempt to interfere with the evidence two Jetstar pilots were giving about a near crash.
Boeing’s misfortunes also mesh in with the US paranoia over the threats to or even loss of financial and technological leadership to China in coming decades.
An email file copied to Crikey contradicts Qantas claims that pilot jobs are not at risk in the current dispute between the group and the Australian and International Pilots Association.
The rhetoric in the Qantas pilots dispute today is more bitter than anything heard in airline circles since the infamous pilot strike of 1989.
