Companion Fares also are available in Air Tahiti Nui Business Class from just AUD$3580 return.

Business Class passengers will enjoy outstanding service, world-class cuisine, fully adjustable head and leg rests, personal video screens with first-run movies, music and games, and added spaciousness between seats.

Fares are per person, include taxes, and are correct as of 21 February 2012. Some conditions apply and taxes can change without notice.

To book flights see your preferred travel agent, visit www.airtahitinui.com.au, or call Air Tahiti Nui on 1300 732 415.

Air Tahiti Nui is the international airline of Tahiti and her islands and offers two weekly departures from Sydney, each Thursday and Sunday.

Between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand, flights are operated by partner airline Qantas. Air Tahiti Nui operates its own aircraft between Auckland and Papeete.

The fares are valid for travel on Hawaiian’s daily flights between Honolulu and Sydney through Thursday, March 1, 2012 at $300 USD for Honolulu departures and $300 AUD for Sydney departures, all taxes and fees inclusive. They are subject to availability.

The Rescue Fares must be purchased by calling Hawaiian’s reservations department in Honolulu at 1-800-367-5320 or in Sydney at 1300-669-106, or at Hawaiian’s ticket counters at Honolulu International Airport and Sydney International Airport.

Travellers booking the fare will be required to present their Air Australia ticket or itinerary information when checking in for their Hawaiian Airlines flight.

Hawaii residents booking the fare for a return to Hawaii from Sydney will be asked to produce their Hawaii ID at check in.

“We’re offering this special fare to help our friends from Australia return home and not let this unfortunate circumstance tarnish their vacation in Hawaii,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO.

“We also want to help any Hawaii residents stranded in Australia to get home.”

Hawaiian offers daily, nonstop flights between Honolulu and Sydney using its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft seating up to 264 passengers, with 18 seats in First Class and the remainder in Economy Class.

Hawaiian Flight #451 departs Honolulu International Airport daily at 11:50 a.m. and arrives at Sydney Airport at 7:20 p.m. the following day.

From Australia, Flight #452 departs Sydney daily at 9:20 p.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 10:10 a.m. the same day. (Sydney is 21 hours ahead of Honolulu and the flight crosses the International Dateline.)

The ‘The Perfect Pearl’ package is priced from AUD$3480 ex Sydney and Melbourne and includes return Economy Class flights with Air Tahiti Nui, two nights’ accommodation in Tahiti, five nights in Moorea, transfers, airport taxes, and daily breakfasts.

The package also includes a day cruise and four-wheel drive tour, enabling you to explore Moorea by land and sea.

The full day Circle Island Lagoon Cruise will take you to Moorea’s lagoons and bays, enabling you to get up close to marine life and beautiful coral before enjoying an island picnic lunch.
You will also experience the island’s wilder side during the Aito 4 Wheel Drive Safari tour which will take you across Moorea’s incredible landscapes, including the internal volcanic crater.

Packages are priced per person, twin share and are based on low season travel between 1 April and 31 May 2012, 1 November until 20 Dec 2012 and between 20 January and 31 March 2013.
High season packages are also available from $3750 for travel between 1 June and 31 October 2012.

Prices include pre-payable taxes which are subject to change. Packages must be booked 90 days prior to departure and bookings are subject to availability. Some conditions apply.

For more information on this and other holiday options visit www.airtahitinui.com.au
Air Tahiti Nui offers one-stop flights from Australia to Papeete each Thursday and Sunday.

From 7 March 2012, the airline will introduce daily flights to London using dedicated Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured to seat just 116 passengers in two Business Class cabins – Club Premier and Club Classic.

Using connecting flights from Australia with Qantas, Hong Kong Airlines is offering mixed-class pricing of AU$3520 return from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth to London. This includes Qantas Economy Class flights to Hong Kong and Club Classic from Hong Kong to London Gatwick.

Full business class fares start at AU$8860 return for Qantas Business Class to Hong Kong and Club Premier from Hong Kong to London Gatwick.

Between Hong Kong and London Gatwick, Club Premier passengers will enjoy 34 suites with fully flat 6’1” beds; a fine dining service with individual table settings, superior wines and champagne; turndown service with duvets, pyjamas and slippers and luxury amenity kits.

Club Classic passengers will enjoy two cabins featuring 82 cradle seats configured 2-2-2, with a spacious 51” seat pitch with 22” width and superior dining.

All cabins come complete with AVOD, digital magazines and high definition widescreens; 15.4” in Club Premier and 10.6” in Club Classic. Passengers also have the option of two sky bars, lounge access in HKG/LGW and limousine transfers for Club Premier passengers.

Fares are available for sale from now until 29 February 2012 and are valid for departures between 7 March and 30 June 2012.

Mixed-class fares include taxes of approximately AU$820 and Business Class fares include taxes of approximately AU$960. Taxes are subject to fluctuations and can change without notice.

For further information on the new flights, please visit www.hongkongairlines.com/club

Hong Kong Airlines is represented in Australia by World Aviation Systems. For more information, or to make a booking, contact Hong Kong Airlines in Australia on 1300 889 190 or hongkong.sydney@worldaviation.com.au

From 4 and 5 June, Alaska Airlines also will begin flying between Portland and Bozeman, Montana, and will resume seasonal services from Portland to Missoula and Billings, Montana.

All services will operate until 25 August 2012.

Alaska Airlines and its partner, Horizon Air, are based in Seattle, Washington, and fly to over 90 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

From Australia, passengers can connect with Alaska Airlines in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hawaii.

Within the United States and Canada, Qantas codeshares on Alaska Airlines flights to Portland, Anchorage, Vancouver and Calgary. Alaska Airlines is also a partner airline with V Australia on flights from Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington DC, Vancouver and Mexico.

Alaska Airlines is represented in Australia by World Aviation Systems. For more information or to make a booking, contact 1300 855 057.

– The Only Nonstop Service Between New York City and Hawaii Begins June 5 –

Hawaiian Airlines (NASDAQ: HA), Hawaii’s flag carrier, and JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline™, today announced a partnership agreement that will make it easy for travelers up and down the East Coast to enjoy the incomparable Hawaii travel experience.

Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, and Dave Barger, president and CEO of JetBlue, signed the agreement at JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport amid a festive Hawaii-themed celebration of Hawaiian music, hula dancing, fresh flower lei and other special gifts from Hawaii for travelers transiting the terminal.

Dunkerley commented, “This partnership with JetBlue makes Hawaii more accessible than ever for our friends on the East Coast, and in June will put the islands at their doorstep with our new daily nonstop service between JFK and Honolulu.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hawaiian Airlines and look forward to welcoming them to our home in the Big Apple later this year,” Barger added. “Our customers have long asked for options to the Aloha State, and today we’re proud to partner with Hawaiian Airlines to get them there in comfort and style.”

Effective this week, customers will be able to purchase single tickets combining travel on both Hawaiian and JetBlue, allowing for seamless travel between the carriers’ networks. Connections are available for immediate travel via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where Hawaiian offers multiple daily departures.

In the near future, Hawaiian intends to codeshare on JetBlue-operated flights, placing its HA code on JetBlue-operated flights*.

The carriers plan to further expand their partnership on June 5, when Hawaiian launches the only nonstop service between New York City and Hawaii with its new wide-body, twin-aisle Airbus A330-200 aircraft seating 294 customers.

Hawaiian’s daily flights from Honolulu will arrive and depart from JFK Terminal 5, becoming the first of JetBlue’s airline partners to locate at the carrier’s acclaimed home. At Terminal 5 – JFK Airport’s newest terminal – travelers can take in a host of shopping options and unique dining experiences, enjoy the convenience of gate-side food ordering and delivery, and surf the web with free terminal-wide Wi-Fi.

Hawaiian Flight 51 will depart JFK daily at 10:00 a.m. and arrive at Honolulu International Airport at 3:00 p.m. The return Flight 50 (“Hawaiian 5-0”) will depart Honolulu daily at 3:05 p.m. and arrive in New York at 6:55 a.m. the following morning.

The new flight’s mid-morning New York departure will allow travelers in markets served by JetBlue up and down the East Coast, such as Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Raleigh/Durham, to make a seamless connection to Honolulu and arrive in time to enjoy a first afternoon on the beach, or to make another easy connection on Hawaiian to Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii Island and settle in for a beautiful island sunset.

Hawaii residents will also benefit from a new level of access from anywhere in the islands to popular East Coast destinations that are home to world-class attractions, historical sites and major sporting events, all booked on Hawaiian.

Customers may book their connecting travel by calling Hawaiian Airlines or by contacting their preferred travel agent. Both carriers plan to sell each other’s flights on their respective web sites in the near future.

Hawaiian and JetBlue have reached a preliminary agreement to allow members of each carrier’s frequent flyer program to earn and redeem loyalty points or miles for travel on either carrier. Under this agreement JetBlue’s TrueBlue members will soon be able to accrue points on any Hawaiian-operated flight, while HawaiianMiles members will be able to earn miles on any JetBlue-operated flights. Similarly, frequent fliers will be able to redeem their points or miles for travel on either carrier’s network, bringing new, much-requested destinations to each program’s loyal members.

Travelers on JetBlue enjoy all-leather seating, the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch), free in-flight entertainment at every seatback, and unlimited free snacks and drinks.

Travelers on Hawaiian’s new flights between New York and Honolulu will enjoy Hawaiian’s signature “Hawaii Flies With Us” inflight hospitality showcasing Hawaii’s culture, natural beauty, and the Aloha Spirit of its people. They will also enjoy complimentary hot meals in all cabins, Hawaiian being the only carrier serving Hawaii that still offers this amenity.

Hawaiian’s A330s offer the comforts of a spacious wide-body interior, new generation seats with increased legroom, and a state-of-the-art, on-demand entertainment system in every seatback that offers a wide variety of movies and video programs, audio channels and video games. Each system also offers a USB port allowing system connectivity for personal media players. First Class customers enjoy larger in-seat LCD screens and iPod compatibility.

From 4 June, Horizon Air will add new daily nonstop services from San Diego to both Monterey and Santa Rosa, along with a twice-daily service to Fresno.

Two daily flights between San Jose and Reno are also being added along with a third daily seasonal flight between Los Angeles and Santa Rosa.

The flights will be operated by Bombardier Q400 turboprops.

To support the new Santa Rosa-San Diego route, Alaska will discontinue service between Santa Rosa and Las Vegas on 3 June.

Alaska Airlines and its partner, Horizon Air, are based in Seattle, Washington, and fly to over 90 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

From Australia, passengers can connect with Alaska Airlines in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hawaii.

Within the United States and Canada, Qantas codeshares on Alaska Airlines flights to Portland, Anchorage, Vancouver and Calgary. Alaska Airlines is also a partner airline with V Australia on flights from Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington DC, Vancouver and Mexico.

Alaska Airlines is represented in Australia by World Aviation Systems. For more information or to make a booking, contact 1300 855 057.

From today until 21 February, the airline’s new “See the Hawaiian Islands” fares are available from Sydney, which Hawaiian serves with daily flights. Fares also are offered from 18 other Australian destinations, flying to Sydney with domestic partner airlines.

“In 2011, Hawai’i was one of the most popular holiday destinations for travellers from Australia,” said Sherilyn Robinson, General Manager Sales and Marketing for Hawaiian Airlines. “It is shaping up to be the same again in 2012, so to meet the growing demand we’ve moved to daily flights, year round, and will introduce new Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the Sydney-Honolulu route from 22 May.”

Hawaiian’s A330s offer 294 seats in a two-class cabin, compared with 264 on the Boeing 767-300 aircraft currently operated by the airline from Australia, and will add cabin enhancements including in seat video on demand for very passenger. Hawaiian Airlines fares from Australia also include meals, drinks and mainscreen entertainment, plus a generous luggage allowance of two bags each weighing up to 32 kilograms per passenger.

The “See the Hawaiian Islands” fares are available for sale from 19 January until 21 February, 2012, for low season departures from Sydney from 01 – 20 March, 2012. The fares from throughout Australia are:

•From Sydney to: Honolulu from $1046; to Maui, Kauai or Hawai’i, The Big Island, from $1051

•From Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Hervey Bay, Maroochydore, Port Macquarie to: Honolulu from $1286; to Maui, Kauai and Hawai’i, The Big Island, from $1291

•From Adelaide, Albury, Hobart, Launceston, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville to: Honolulu from $1386; to Maui, Kauai and Hawai’i, The Big Island, from $1391

•From Perth to: Honolulu from $1546; to Maui, Kauai and Hawai’i, The Big Island, from $1551.

Fares also are available for travel in the shoulder and high seasons. Shoulder season applies from 07 May-16 June, 18 July-21 September and 08-31 October. In these periods, fares cost an additional $150 per person. High season applies from 17-29 June, with fares in this period costing an additional $420 per person. Taxes are correct as at 20 January, 2012, and can change without notice, based on currency exchange rates at the time of booking. Seats are limited at these prices, and some conditions apply.

Hawaiian Airlines flies daily from Sydney to Honolulu, and by mid 2012 will operate up to 180 inter island flights per day. For more information visit www.hawaiionsale.com.au or www.hawaiianairlines.com.au. To make a booking contact your AFTA travel agent, or call Hawaiian’s toll free number on 1300 669 106.

ATR’s 2011 results attest to the structural changes in the regional transport market, making ATRs the new reference in this sector. ATRs represented more than 80% of regional airplane sales in 2011, confirming the domination of turboprop aircraft on regional routes. Their low fuel consumption, combined with comfort and advanced technology are the main reasons for ATR’s success, the first signs of which were felt in 2005.

The regional aircraft manufacturer ATR recorded its best commercial year in 2011, posting firm sales of 157 planes and options for an additional 79 aircraft. These 157 firm sales (13 ATR 42s and 144 ATR 72s) round out the manufacturer’s order book for a record high of 224 aircraft, ensuring 3 years of production, taking into account the production ramp up starting in 2012.

During a press conference held in Paris this morning, Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, said he was “very pleased with the outstanding commercial performance in 2011. Our success is based on our ability to answer to the market requirements. Airlines are increasingly looking for planes that combine the lowest operating costs, cutting-edge technology, comfort and environmental friendliness. In this context, ATRs and particularly our new series of aircraft, the -600, have proven to be the best choice for regional routes in terms of meeting these requirements in regional routes.”

ATR recorded 157 firm orders and 79 options (table 1) with 18 clients worldwide, including 10 new customers. Existing clients have renewed their trust in ATR in order to develop their networks and meet the increase in local traffic. Among its new clients, the majority of ATR aircraft purchased in 2011 will be intended to replace an older fleet of first-generation regional jets or turboprops (non-ATR planes).

Leasing companies represented over 20% of ATR’s sales in 2011, which confirms that ATRs are increasingly attractive to aircraft lessors. Their low operating and maintenance costs, their high standard of comfort, thanks to the new “Armonia” cabin for the -600 series in particular, and a base of approximately 180 ATR operators in 90 countries make them major assets for aircraft leasing companies. ATR’s success has really ramped up in recent years, with half of all orders (totaled over the past 30 years) being recorded since 2005.

Certification of the ATR 72-600 in May 2011, as well as of the associated training tools, enabled the European turboprop manufacturer to introduce new standards of comfort and leading-edge technologies into regional market. Since their entry into service last August, ATR 72-600s have made over 3,000 flights, posting an initial technical reliability of over 99.7%.

ATR delivered 54 aircraft in 2011 (table 2), including 10 ATR 72-600s.

At the end of 2011, the 224 planes on the order books totaled an estimated US$ 5 billion. As a result, ATR will substantially increase its delivery schedule in order to meet the strong demand for ATRs worldwide. ATR plans to deliver over 70 aircraft in 2012 and to increase its deliveries to a minimum of 80 units as of 2013. With the ramp-up of its delivery schedules, ATR should see its turnover, which currently stands at $1.3 billion, reach $2 billion in the near future.

Filippo Bagnato said: “We are currently experiencing a real reversal of the trend in the regional market. Jets with 90 seats or less are gradually losing their place. And he added: “Today, ATR holds 70% of the order book for regional aircraft with 90 seats or less. This success was born of a continuous improvement policy, economic performance and the comfort of our airplanes. Today, this success has led to a remarkable change in the perception of our turboprop aircraft amongst regional airlines and their passengers.”

In 2011, ATR also obtained the expansion of the scope of its environmental certification ISO 14001, thus becoming the first regional aircraft manufacturer to be certified “environmental-friendly” over the entire lifecycle of its planes.

Moreover, the new design of the Armonia cabin for ATR -600s was recognized at the Good Design Awards in Chicago, a worldwide reference for design and technology. The jury recognized the cabin designed by Italian designer Giugiaro for its quality in terms of comfort, ergonomics, innovation and design.

ATR continued to develop its customer support network worldwide with the opening of new pilot training centers in Toronto and Paris. A new center will open in Johannesburg in the very near future. Within its support activities, in 2011 ATR completed the entry into service of the ASTRE program (ATR Spares Total Re-Engineering). This ambitious program has been designed in order to facilitate the development of new customer services and optimized management of the spare parts stock, offering increased responsiveness in terms of customer support. It is also effective in reducing the immobilization time of aircraft for maintenance, repair and overhaul.

The US-made Redbird FMX Simulators have just been installed at AAA’s training facility and are the first Redbird devices to be CASA certified in Australia. Each has quick-change cockpit configurations and instrument displays, enabling them to replicate every aircraft in the AAA training fleet.

This includes switching from single-engine Cessna 172 trainers to twin-engine Beech King Airs, and from analogue instrument displays to new glass cockpits.

Conversion of the simulator displays and layout from one aircraft type to another takes just minutes, providing significant flexibility for the academy, which is accredited to train pilots for a range of customers including international airlines.

Allan Brooks, Chief Executive of Airline Academy of Australia, and Royal Queensland Aero Club, said the new simulators would be used to upgrade and expand the airline training capabilities of the AAA.

“These devices will replace our previous front-line simulators for general aviation pilot training, and offer significantly improved capabilities and training scenarios,” said Mr Brooks.

“They will also enable us to increase significantly the amount of simulator time which we include in our core training syllabus,” he said.

Each of the Redbird units offers a fully-enclosed cockpit, 200 degree wrap-around visual displays and electronic “motion platforms” to simulate aircraft movement –  a major upgrading of cockpit training simulation for general aviation.

“Our new simulators will provide a level of sophistication which previously was offered only on training devices for large jets and turboprop airliners,” Mr Brooks said.

“The Redbird devices are designed to enable instructors to sit alongside students, as they would in an actual aircraft, and each includes a comprehensive database of airports and terrain, to increase realism in training and maximise experience for students.”

The new simulators include a unique USB key system, enabling instructors to authorise students to fly only those training missions applicable to their curriculum. The new simulators also store pilot information and flight history.

In addition to its four general aviation training devices, including the two new units, Airline Academy of Australia has an ongoing partnership with another Queensland company, SimJet Training Systems, enabling access to SimJet’s Boeing 737 Next Generation training simulator which is located at the Academy campus on Archerfield Airport.

For more information about Australian Airline Academy, visit www.airlineacademy.com.au