Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest airline, has named its new Airbus A380 Superjumbo, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, after Nancy Bird-Walton, Australia’s first woman commercial pilot.

With more labour unions supporting the move by Italian investor CAI consortium to buy the Alitalia, the flag-carrier airline of Italy, prospects have become brighter for the bailout of the cash-strapped carrier.

Aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus Industrie has opened a final assembly line for its A320 aircraft in Tianjin in northern China. The new facility is the first of its kind built by Airbus outside Europe.

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, and Sojern Incorporated, based in Omaha, Nebraska, the United States, have entered into a partnership to provide destination-specific information as well as offers via boarding passes.

As a part of their frantic bid to survive, airlines based in the United States have decided to cut corporate discounts or withdraw from contracts totally if businesses fail to meet their travel commitments.

NIIT Technologies Limited, the leading software company based in India, has signed a multi-million pound, three-year deal outsourcing deal with its existing client British Airways.

Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), has announced that the supervisory board of the Russian State Bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) has approved the construction of a factory in Ulyanovsk in Russia to assemble the Eclipse 500 jet.

Entering into a tie-up with Atlantis, the flagship resort and water park recently opened on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, Dubai-based Emirates Airline has unveiled a new offer for its passengers.

The two pilots who shocked the airline industry by dozing off during a flight and sending air traffic controllers into panic mode have now received their licenses back.

A group of major airlines and Boeing Company, the aircraft manufacturer, have joined hands to accelerate the development of new, sustainable aviation fuels.

Maldivian, the national carrier of Maldives, has deployed technology company IBS Software’s Passenger Service System aiRES in the Software as a Service (SaaS) mode to help itself manage its passenger reservations, inventory control, fares & ticketing, and departure control functions. 

Yet another airline, the United States-based DayJet, has closed shop. DayJet Services LLC, a provider of regional air-taxi service, began service to Pensacola and four other cities in Florida, the United States, in October 2007.

Delta Air Lines Incorporated and Northwest Airlines Corporation, both major airlines based in the United States, have moved closer to merger with the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepting plans by the two carriers for a Single Operating Certificate for the combined carrier.

The United States-based United Airlines has decided to double the fee it charges some passengers to check a second bag, citing as reason the volatile prices of aviation turbine fuel.

Alitalia, the flag-carrier airline of Italy, has posted on the company’s website an invitation calling for bids from investors before September 30, 2008, in a last-ditch attempt to rescue the troubled airline.

Qantas Airways, the national airline of Australia, has taken delivery of the first of its Airbus A380 Superjumbo from Toulouse, France.

Western India will soon see Paramount flights with the Tamil Nadu-based domestic airline major all set to kick off operations to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Goa.

The Ramadan season is here and Dubai-based airline major Emirates has lined up a special Iftar service to its Muslim customers to help passengers break their fast during journey.

Sabre-connected travel agencies and corporations around the world will now get easy access to Dubai-based Emirates’ full content fares for the next 10 years through the Sabre global distribution system.

Airlines in India will be penalised if they delay paying compensation to passengers who have been denied boarding because of overbooking or flight cancellation.

Deutsche Lufthansa, the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried, has signed a deal to take over Brussels Airlines, the national airline of Belgium and the country’s largest airline.

Airline major Jet Airways has pocketed the unique distinction of becoming first private airline in the country to operate flights from all three international airports in Kerala by launching services from Thiruvanathapuram to Muscat.

Close on the heels of the United Kingdom-based travel operator XL Leisure Group closing shop, another British holiday firm, K&S Holidays, has collapsed, putting the air travel industry in further trouble.

Air New Zealand, the national flag carrier of New Zealand, has shown the way in saving fuel, cutting flying time as well as curbing harmful carbon emissions.

A new kind of problem seems to be gathering storm in the air: Flight attendants with American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, have asked the company to filter its in-flight wireless internet service to block access to pornography and other websites which the workers believe are “inappropriate.”

Venezuela is cutting the number of flights it will allow United States-based airlines to operate to and from the country.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced new steps as well as 13 recommendations to enhance its supervision of aviation safety.

[caption id="attachment_319" align="aligncenter" width="295" caption="Richard Branson: The BA / AA deal is anti-competitive"][/caption]

The stern restrictions now in place on carrying liquids and gels in hand luggage on flights have been extended by another 5 yeas.

The jet fuel using algae produced by Solazyme Incorporated, the company based in South San Francisco, California, the United States, has passed all the tests required for aviation turbine fuel.