SERVICES

The largest provider of electricity and gas in Australia continues to grow at an astounding rate. The company now services 150 thousand customers.

A national organization of key players in the aviation and aerospace industry will give the sector a strong voice in public policy and planning.

Telstra breaks away from the traditional billable hours when paying for legal services. Being one of the nation's biggest corporate consumers of legal services makes the move a force in corporate Australia.

For Coles, the customer is always right. The supermarket chain now actively supports their customers' choice for fresh pork from farms which do not use sow stalls by 2014.

Using skills in a structured environment of fear, speed, and thrills will be the focus of theme park developers in Australia. The new combination is expected to put the continent on the tourism map.

The Victorian Government remains silent on the route of the multi-billion dollar Regional Rail Link project. Affected residents near the Footscray Railway Station, therefore, could not decide yet on whether they want their land and other properties sold to the government.

Sixteen to 49 year old men will have an exclusive channel for their age group. The new digital free-to-air channel 7mate's first broadcast on September 25 will be a live coverage of the AFL grand finals.

Small businesses maintain high hopes that retail activity will go back to normal after the national elections. A number of business operators noted trickling customers as August 21 approaches.

JetBlue shares are trading 4.35% lower at $6.15. This depite the 8.3 % rise in July Traffic, compared to the same month last year.

Tollroad operator Transurban Group (ASX: TLC) announced on Thursday its return to profit for the full year 2009/10 as it reported that the company’s net profit as of June 30 reached $59 .605 million.

Australian airline company Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) today announced its net profit for the year to June 30 slid 4.3 per cent to $112 million from $117 million in the previous corresponding period.

Sir Richard Branson today announced that Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin America and V Australia/Virgin Blue are teaming up to offer each airline's loyalty program members the opportunity to earn miles or points when taking flights on their sister-branded airlines.

Australian media company Village Roadshow Ltd (ASX: VRL) has proposed to simplify its capital structure by joining ordinary and preference shares into one listed security.

Australian residents made a record 6.8 million short-term trips overseas in 2009-10, according to the latest data issued today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Activity in the service sector contracted in July, as government stimulus fades, according to a report.

S&P/ASX200-listed Aevum Ltd. rose in Sydney trading after the Australian retirement village operator turned down an A$266-million ($242 million) unsolicited buyout proposal from its biggest shareholder, Stockland.

The Virgin Blue Group of Airlines this morning sent off its first Sydney to Uluru service.

Navitas, which offers university preparation, English language training, workforce training and migrant settlement services, has reported a 31 per cent increase in annual net profit and expects strong earnings growth in financial year 2010-11.

Qantas Airways (ASX: QAN) is having difficulties persuading authorities to award a two-year extension to its team up with South Africa Airways on the productive Australia-Africa route.

John Borghetti, the new boss of Virgin Blue, has moved to take matters to his hands in trying to shift around the fate of its loss-making subsidiary, V Australia.

The government of Queensland has announced that it intends to push ahead with QR National’s public float despite coal companies’ offers to purchase the coal rail network.

River Murray irrigators in South Australia will start the new fiscal year with an opening allocation for irrigation at 21 per cent today.

Downer EDI has rejected all claims that it is fidgeting with its operational funds to lift its end-of-year accounts.

Starting Thursday this week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will be granted the authority to void skyrocketing home loan exit charges that are not directly related to expenses banks actually shouldered in closing accounts, a clear benefit for consumers and home owners.

Trying to establish its presence in the direct sales and financial advice markets, Suncorp-Metway aims to more than double its new life insurance business in the coming three years.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd has acknowledged that it is experiencing slow down in sales and to address the slump, chief executive John Borghetti is training his eyes on business class flyers, looking at the possibility that the budget carrier could entice other market segments apart from its existing revenue base.

Domestic carrier Regional Express Holdings Ltd (Rex) has announced on Wednesday that company net profit for 2009/10 would only either match or might even fall a little below than the net profit of $23 million it reported on 2008/09.

Travel agency specialist Flight Centre Ltd has announced Tuesday that it is upgrading its earnings guidance from a low of $180 million to a maximum of $200 million for fiscal 2010 as it cited that encouraging overseas trade conditions are poised to deliver record profit to the company by the end of the year.

Budget carrier Virgin Blue is once gain cited as the top low cost airline in the Australia/Asia Pacific region at the Skytrax world airline awards held in Hamburg, garnering the honour for four consecutive times and edging out Tiger Airways and Qantas subsidiary, Jetstar.