8 October 2009

Cobham Wins AUD$100M Extension to Australian Freight Contract

ADELAIDE, Australia - Cobham has won a long-term extension to its contract worth some AUD$100m with Australian air Express (AaE) to provide air freight services to Eastern Australian 

ports. Cobham Aviation Services Australia will continue to provide three BAe146QT aircraft and crews to fly high-priority overnight freight services connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The contract builds on a 17-year relationship with AaE, Australia's leading air freight provider, owned jointly by Qantas and Australia Post. The low noise profile of the BAe146 Quiet Trader (QT) aircraft enables Cobham to operate scheduled airfreight services during curfew hours, ensuring that critical overnight mail and freight can be delivered on time.

Peter Nottage, Chief Executive Officer of Cobham Aviation Services Australia said "Cobham and AaE have enjoyed an excellent relationship over many years since the initial air freight contract in 1992 

and we are delighted this is to continue until 2015. This extension reflects the dedication and hard work of the crews and maintenance personnel who strive to make this the most reliable overnight freight service in Australia." 

About Cobham:

Cobham's products and services have been at the heart of sophisticated military and civil systems for more than 70 years, keeping people safe, improving communications and enhancing the capability of land, sea, air and space platforms. The Company has four divisions employing more than 12,000 people on five continents, with customers and partners in over 100 countries and annual revenue of more than £1.4 billion / AUS $3.5 billion.

Cobham Aviation Services Australia is the largest provider of contracted air services in Australia. It operates a combined fleet of 42 aircraft throughout Australasia and employs more than 1100 people. Cobham operations include 'fly in, fly out' (FIFO) personnel transport services for resource companies, airline services for Qantas regional subsidiary QantasLink and high-capacity scheduled air freight services for express freight provider Australian air Express.

Contacts:

Greg Caires                                 Julian Wais
Media Relations                            Investor Relations

+1 703 414 5319                         +44 (0) 1202 857998

greg.caires@cobham.com            julian.wais@cobham.com 

RNS news service provided by Hemscott Group Limited.