Virgin Australia links up with Alitalia

Virgin Australia is boosting its international network and frequent flyer program through a codeshare agreement and frequent flyer partnership with Alitalia.

Initially, Virgin will place its VA airline code on the Italian flag carrier’s flights from Abu Dhabi to Rome and Milan (Malpensa), which are operated by Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Frequent flyer benefits would be announced at a later date, Virgin said on Monday.

Virgin Australia chief commercial officer Judith Crompton said the codeshare would offer its passengers more choice for travel to Italy.

“We will continue to work closely with other international carriers to give our customers access to more destinations, more flights and more convenient schedules, as well as increased benefits for Velocity members,” Crompton said in a statement.

“We are very excited to partner with Alitalia and provide more choice to our customers travelling to Italy.

“Members of our Velocity Frequent Flyer program and Alitalia’s MilleMiglia program will soon benefit from the partnership.”

Virgin currently codeshares on Etihad Airways’ services from Australia to to Rome and Milan via Abu Dhabi, as well as Singapore Airlines’ services to Milan Rome through Singapore.

The Australian carrier also offers three flights a week between Sydney and Abu Dhabi with Boeing 777-300ERs. However, those flights are currently suspended while Virgin’s 777 fleet undergo a cabin upgrade with new business class seats and a refreshed premium economy cabin that is due to be completed by the end of July.

Etihad became a 49 per cent owner of Alitalia after completing a 1.76 billion euro deal in August 2014 that also included a 560 million euro investment in the loss-making Italian airline.

Alitalia is a member of the Skyteam alliance and is also one of seven airlines that belong to “Etihad Airways Partners”, which brings together Etihad plus five other airlines in which Etihad holds equity stakes in – airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Jet Airways and Swiss-based Darwin Airline (which operates as Etihad Regional).

It recently ended a frequent flyer arrangement with Qantas.

Etihad is also a 25.1 per cent shareholder in Virgin.

 

Australian Aviation

South Australia govt hopes tourism agreement with China Southern leads to nonstop service

China Southern may launch flights to Adelaide as part of a tourism agreement with the South Australian government.

Currently, the airline serves Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney from its Guangzhou hub, and recently commenced Sydney-Shenzhen services.

Premier Jay Weatherill said the tourism agreement he signed with China Southern in Guanzhou on Friday would help secure a “direct passenger services” between Adelaide and Guangzhou.

“The interest from China Southern Airlines has been growing and we are now committing to help their market to build awareness of South Australia by building a strong business case for flights to Adelaide,” Weatherill said in a statement on Sunday.

The SA premier said a direct flight to mainland China would create 100 jobs.

Nonstop international destinations from Adelaide include Auckland (Air New Zealand), Bali (Jetstar, Tigerair Australia), Dubai (Emirates), Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines) and Singapore (Singapore Airlines).

Also, the South Australian capital will have a nonstop link to Doha from May when Qatar Airways begins flights with Airbus A350-900s.

In addition to its Australian network, China Southern also serves Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand. The Skyteam alliance member operates 70 flights a week to this part of the world during peak periods.

SA Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said there were about 32,000 visitors from China in calendar 2015, up 4.7 per cent from the prior year. China brought in the fourth most visitors to South Australia.

Comment has been sought from China Southern.

 

Australian Aviation

RFDS South Eastern to get Beechcraft Kingair simulator at new Dubbo training centre

The Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section (RFDS SE) will receive a Beechcraft Kingair simulator as part of its new flight training centre in Dubbo.

The flight-training simulator was announced on Friday during NSW Premier Mike Baird’s visit to Israel with a trade delegation that included RFDS SE chief executive Greg Sam. The state government is making a $2.5 million contribution towards RFDS SE facility.

RFDS SE chief executive Greg Sam said the new simluator would mean more staff would be able to train locally, rather than overseas.

“The ability to train flight staff and medical staff simultaneously allows us to deliver an even higher level of aeromedical care for our patients and a safer operating environment for our staff,” Sam said in a statement.

“Having world-class, state-of-the-art facilities within our existing Dubbo Base will promote medical excellence in healthcare delivery and support community engagement. It will also enable us to train our pilots and medical staff in this highly specialised branch of medicine quicker and more economically.”

Sam also noted the contribution of the Dubbo Support Group.

“The Dubbo Support Group have supported us ever since we opened our Dubbo base in 1999, and including this generous contribution of $1.1 million to the new facility, have raised over $3 million to date and helped us develop a model for community/health provider partnerships,” Sam said.

“This announcement is great news for the people of Dubbo and Central Western New South Wales and for the RFDS SE. We have been expanding our facilities and clinic services in Dubbo as part of our 2015-19 strategic plan, aimed at reducing the well-documented gap in health and wellness between those living in remote, rural and regional areas and those in the cities.

Construction work on the $18 million RFDS SE aeromedical simulation and training facility at Dubbo Airport, which also includes a Flying Doctor tourism and visitor centre, was scheduled to start shortly and be opened in 2017.

NSW Premier Mike Baird described the project as an Australian first.

“It will be the only facility in Australia to provide aeromedical training for fixed-wing pilots as well as medical staff, to help ensure the continued success of the world-class service in regional NSW and Australia,” Baird said.

RFDS SE said Elbit Systems of Australia, a subsidiary of Israel-based technology firm Elbit Systems, would install the flight-training simulator.

“The Beechcraft King Air B200 simulator is a perfect example of Elbit Systems’ high technology and innovate solutions that are widely used in order to save lives,” Elbit Systems of Australia managing director Dan Webster said.

“The cooperation between Elbit Systems, the RFDS SE and the New South Wales government is an example of our commitment to the Australian society and I hope more cooperation will follow.”

 

Australian Aviation

Australia targets Small Diameter Bomb for F-35

The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of Boeing’s Small Diameter Bomb I to Australia to support the acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II.

The estimated cost of the potential deal under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program is US$386 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated, and covers up to 2,950 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb I and up to 50 Guided Test Vehicles.

“This capability will strengthen combined operations and increase interoperability between the US Air Force and the RAAF,” the agency said.

Boeing is listed as being the principal contractor for production, but the principal contractor for integration is to be determined during contract negotiations.

The Small Diameter Bomb is an extended range, all weather, day or night 250 pound class guided munition that is capable of achieving standoff ranges in excess of 40nm.

 

Australian Aviation

StarFlight Australia launches

Queensland’s CareFlight Group in partnership with Kaan Air, a European utility operator and Finmeccanica Helicopters and Russian Helicopters distributor, have launched StarFlight Australia to provide EMS, SAR and firefighting helicopter services throughout Australasia.

The joint venture company was launched at CareFlight’s Brisbane Airport base on April 8 by StarFlight chairman Ferda Yildiz along with its deputy chairman and former Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge, StarFlight chief executive John Skeen and CareFlight Queensland’s chief executive Ashely van de Velde.

“Our company is new but the two organisations of Kaan Air and CareFlight Group bring more than 50 years of combined industry experience to the table,” said Yildiz. “We can offer Australian, New Zealand and Asia Pacific organisations new solutions for their rotary wing requirements.”

Preferring to partner with current operators rather than compete, StarFlight has access to factory new Kamov Ka-32A11BCs for firefighting and Finmecannica Helicopters’ (AgustaWestland) range of EMS and SAR machines and says it will provide government agencies, commercial entities and operators in the Asia Pacific region with turn-key solutions for emergency response, surveillance, aerial firefighting, utility and logistical transport services.

“StarFlight can access the latest EASA and CASA approved Kamov Ka-32A11BC helicopter, fully equipped and compliant for firefighting in Australia and South East Asia regions,” said Skeen. “There’s a lot of pressure on governments and service providers to increase firefighting resources throughout the country, particularly in terms of rotary wing attack. Recent experience in Spain demonstrated the effectiveness of the Kamov Ka-32A11BC using a Bambi Bucket to fight fires. It functioned well in ambient temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius.”

StarFlight builds on the European HeliStar brand, another joint venture between Kaan Air and Air Methods, one of the largest HEMS and flight training operators in the US, to provide training services through CareFlight’s training academy at Brisbane Airport. “We provide turn-key academy-based or operator-based training for any HEMS and SAR program,” said Skeen. “The introduction next year of a full flight Level D AW139 flight simulator will increase training capability substantially.”

 

Australian Aviation

Página 104 de 366- Katrina Jade posa nua e revela estar solteira

“Estou solteira desde o carnaval.Ele queria pular o carnaval com os amigos . Eu queria um programa romântico a dois em Teresópolis . Ele fez a escolha , eu fiz a minha . Vida que segue.  “

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Página 104 de 366 – Lúcia Tovar posa nua na piscina de água quente em Honolulu

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Ceará derrota Uniclinic por 5 a 1 e está eliminado do Campeonato Cearense 2016

Mesmo com o resultado, o Vovô não se classificou para a semifinail do Estadual

Site do Ceará Sporting Club

Página 104 de 366 – Heather Summers deliciosamente nua

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Sérgio Soares afirma que chega nesta segunda-feira, 11, ao Ceará mesmo com classificação do São Bernardo no Paulistão

Anunciado como novo técnico do Ceará pelo presidente Robinson de Castro na semana passada, Sérgio Soares tem apresentação marcada para esta segunda-feira, 11. O treinador havia pedido um prazo para assumir o Alvinegro devido ao seu contrato com o São Bernardo até o término do Campeonato Paulista.

Com a meta de fugir do rebaixamento, a expectativa era de que o time do ABC Paulista encerrasse sua participação na competição neste domingo, 10. Porém, a equipe conquistou a classificação para as quartas de final e terá o Palmeiras como adversário. Com a situação surgiu a dúvida se Sérgio Soares manteria a data de apresentação ao Vovô.

De acordo com o técnico, em conversa com o Esportes O Povo, a classificação não afeterá a chegada ao novo clube.

“A apresentação continua de pé. Amanhã tô indo à Fortaleza assumir a equipe e conversar com a diretoria”, afirmou.

Questionado sobre uma possível volta à São Paulo após a apresentação para comandar o São Bernardo diante do Palmeiras, Sérgio disse que a possibilidade ainda não foi levantada e que tudo será resolvido quando estiver em Fortaleza

“Ainda não tem nada definido quanto a isso. De certo mesmo, apenas que eu me apresento amanhã ao Ceará”

Sérgio Soares irá assumir a equipe eliminada da Copa do Nordeste e fora das semifinais do Estadual. O próximo compromisso do Alvinegro será apenas no dia 27 de abril no jogo da volta do duelo contra o Resende-RJ pela primeira fase da Copa do Brasil.

 

Jornal O POVO