Air India's new boss has vowed to turn around the ailing airline, calling for the brand to be completely overhauled to meet the needs of modern-day travellers.

Qantas is to be hit with industrial action by its engineers next week while the airline has accused unions of trashing its brand and making misleading claims about its new strategy.

A walk out by quarantine staff has not delayed any flights at Sydney Airport, authorities say.

Pilots at JetBlue are choosing once again to go without union representation.

Australian carrier Qantas announced a major restructuring that could see it buy 110 new planes, cut up to 1,000 jobs and launch two Asia-focussed airlines as it bids to stem financial losses.

Aircraft builder and defense contractor Boeing Co. spent US$4.4 million lobbying the government during the second quarter on issues including federal defense and aviation spending and foreign relations.

State-run Air India Ltd. said the federal government has appointed Rohit Nandan, a joint secretary in the ministry of civil aviation, as the ailing carrier's new chairman and managing director.

British Airways, the biggest airline based at London's Heathrow airport, said it's starting its largest recruitment drive for pilots in more than a decade as the carrier expands the fleet with new models.

The union that represents ramp workers at United Airlines won an election on Thursday to cover more than 14,000 workers as it combines with Continental.

British Airways launched its biggest pilot recruitment drive in more than a decade yesterday, unveiling plans to hire more than 800 new pilots by 2016.