Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has filed an amended complaint alleging that United Technologies Corporation (UTC) has infringed the Rolls-Royce swept fan blade patent in the United States. The complaint specifically alleges that the fan stages on Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine and on UTC’s PW1000G engine (also known as the Geared Turbofan) infringe the Rolls-Royce patent.

An Airbus-led consortium in partnership with Air France and the air navigation service providers from the UK, Canada and the US (NATS, Nav Canada and the FAA) will shortly commence ‘Transatlantic Green Flight’ (TGF) trials with an Air France A380 on revenue services from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG). Under a recent contract from the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) joint undertaking (SJU), the A380 TGF trials are part of the second wave the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to reduce Emissions – “AIRE2”.

Wagga Wagga’s rich and eventful aviation history, an excellent and thriving airport that’s still a major aviation activity centre, an aviation-oriented community and a modern, regionally-focused university, have won the Riverina city selection as the site for the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame. The ambitious but well-planned initiative was announced just two weeks ago, and its three instigators attended a formal civic reception last night (Tuesday August 24) in Wagga to join some of the dots and outline the rationale of the Wagga choice

Aeromil Pacific and Bankstown Airport Limited have finalised the lease of Hangar 14 at Bankstown to expand the Cessna distributor’s presence at Bankstown. Following restoration and renovation work by BAL, Aeromil Pacific is expected to begin expanded operations from Site 521 in the last quarter of 2010. The heritage listed Site 521, adjoining the Bankstown airport passenger terminal, was built for the RAAF during World War II and is part of one of the airport’s original hangars.

Just as Members of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia were losing hope that either of the major parties would release a transport policy before Saturday’s Federal Election, the Liberal / National Coalition today released its plan to foster Australian aviation if it wins Government this weekend. “The RAAA found it quite unbelievable that with only 48 hours to go, aviation transport issues had been ignored by the two major parties,” Paul Tyrrell, RAAA CEO said today.

Seven leading Australian general aviation Associations have launched a General Aviation Rescue Plan to highlight what they say is the lack of Government imagination and vision for the GA sector. Members of the group have already expressed grave concerns over the apparent aviation policy void on both sides of politics in the run-up to the election and have now joined forces to show what needs to be done for a sector with a strong history of nation-building achievement  and continuing potential which they believe has been ignored by government policy makers.

Qantas and Australia Post today confirmed the renewal of their joint venture partnerships, Australian air Express and Star Track Express, as well as signing a new five year mail contract with a combined value of $100 million per annum. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, said the two partners were strategically important assets and as such, Qantas and Australia Post had committed to remain equal partners in both ventures.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says a $377 underlying pre-tax profit announced today indicates a strong performance despite tough trading conditions: “While global trading conditions remained challenging, they continued to improve, and the Qantas Group has delivered a strong result, more than tripling its full year profit year-on-year. Qantas is one of the few airlines to record successive full-year profits and continues to hold an investment grade credit rating” said Mr Joyce.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce today announced changes to the management of Jetstar, the Qantas Group’s low fares carrier, “to position the organisation for future growth.” Mr Joyce said the changes would position the Jetstar brands for future growth in the expanding aviation market, particularly across the Asia region.

Peak Aviation bodies believe pressing aviation issues are being completely ignored by both sides of politics in their election campaigns.  “Regional Australia is anxiously awaiting the transport policies of the major parties and is concerned that important transport issues, such as the ability of regional and rural Australians to access safe, secure and affordable air transport, are not being taken seriously,” says the Regional Aviation Association of Australia’s (RAAA) Chief Executive Officer Paul Tyrrell.

Hawker Beechcraft has launched an unparalleled blitz on the global corporate aircraft market with a $¼ bn plan to dedicate a fleet of at least a dozen demonstrator aircraft, and rotate them every six to eight months as new models update them. the plan has further strengthened into a program that will see the fleet wearing a specially-developed demonstrator livery, fitted with top-of-the-range “chairman’s pack” interiors, equipment and avionics, and mobilised to arrive promptly on corporate doorsteps soon after the phone rings.

University students from our region can help shape the future of flight and try for a €30,000 prize in an Airbus Fly Your Ideas (FYI) global competition to be launched today by Airbus at the Farnborough International Airshow. FYI 2011 follows the success of the inaugural contest launched in October 2008. Some 2,350 students from over 80 countries took part with the multinational team COz from the University of Queensland judged eventual winners at Le Bourget 2009.

One of the world’s highest-achieving aeronautical engineers, former Boeing design engineer Joe Sutter, has been honored by the readers of the world’s top aviation magazine in a presentation at Farnborough International Airshow this week. Acknowledged as the ‘Father of Boeing 747,’ Mr Sutter was credited with leading the development of the iconic 747 jetliner from the point when Boeing decided in 1965 to develop the big widebody that launched a new era in international aviation.

Regional Express Holdings today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Wagga-based Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA), will provide pilot training services in cooperation with Boeing-owned Jeppesen in Australia. The Singapore-owned AAPA will train future airline pilots for Jeppesen’s client companies all over the world to the standard required for Australian and international commercial pilot licences.

Airbus Industrie turned lots of heads at Farnborough’s International Airshow yesterday when it unveiled its “engineers’ dream” concept of what air transport might look like in 2050 – or even 2030 if advances in existing technologies continue apace. Airbus drew on its in-house experts for ideas, including specialists in aircraft materials, aerodynamics, structures, cabins and engines.

Jetstar’s international operations will be the first Qantas Group unit to fly its Boeing 787 Dreamliners – a B787-8 series aircraft – in mid-2012. The planned deliveries have been brought forward by an agreement reached with Boeing to accelerate the delivery of eight of the group’s 50 B787-8s by about two years. Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the Group had firm orders for 50 B787s in  place, and remained the second largest airline customer for the Dreamliner.

It probably wouldn’t be among the finalists in any aviation Concourse d’elegance, but after all every aircraft design is something of a compromise. Boeing’s Phantom Eye, unveiled only yesterday, is expected to deliver about a 150 knot true airspeed, and carry a 450 kg payload – the equivalent of four passengers and their golf clubs – well above the weather at 65.000 feet.

Australian Aviation organisations have slammed a $22 million fuel tax hike that starts today. Independent Chair of the Australian Aviation Associations Forum (AAAF), Chris Manning, warned that industry would have to look closely at passing on the new charge to the travelling public as the estimated cost to industry was in about $22 million per year: “The surprise announcement of a 25% increase in fuel tax in the budget has perplexed an industry that is committed to safety but which must keep a close control on any additional costs.”