Qantas Link 717 cancellations
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Qantas Link 717 cancellations
Most of us are aware you guys are on PIA for your EBA negotiations, but what’s the go with all the cancellations? Is it serviceability issues with the aircraft and refusing to accept the MEL’s? Lack of crew? It’s certainly firing up the regional cities, pax and QF ground staff.
Was in a regional town recently that has the 717’s servicing it, and sadly nearly everyone you talk to says that if you’re booking Qantas, then allow extra days because cancellations are high. Bit sad really, and apparently Qantas doesn’t give 2 ****s about it. They just continue to charge exorbitant prices and come up with excuses.
Qantas must be starting to “give 2 ****s” cause 737 open time this month is full of 717 flying.
Morno,
Don't forget regional centres served by Dash8/Q400 services. Particularly if you are wanting to travel on an EK code-share booking.
That's where the fun for you REALLY begins when flight cancellations are taken into account and you aren't travelling on a QF booking.
Be prepared to be very patient under those circumstances.
Don't forget regional centres served by Dash8/Q400 services. Particularly if you are wanting to travel on an EK code-share booking.
That's where the fun for you REALLY begins when flight cancellations are taken into account and you aren't travelling on a QF booking.
Be prepared to be very patient under those circumstances.
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Qantas must be starting to “give 2 ****s” cause 737 open time this month is full of 717 flying.
Sadly as the USA witnessed with Colgan Air 3407, airline management step away from accountability when the incessant push to lower terms and conditions generates big problems. Unlike Australia the FAA acted.
Protected Industrial Action is very difficult to take in many western economies, withdrawal of labour often impossible. Secondary boycott ensures unions are impotent to drive change. Didn't Qantas pilots take industrial action protected by Fair Work provisions only to have the government (who passed the legislation) side with management?
I personally applaud the Cobham pilots attempting to better their terms and conditions. The time is now, demographics and structural shortage can help get back what adversarial IR stripped away.
As for the 737 flying, replacing the 717, playing one group off against each other is management MO, one can simply not be available to help out management and step around it that way..
If the truth were to escape, you would be amazed at why these cancellations really occurred. But the truth as released by the QF PR experts will suffice 
.
Now to the industrial action. I'm told the only PIA being used is of a very soft nature at this time and not nearly as disruptive to passengers as it may have been suggested. Choosing to retain ones time off rather than accepting a duty on a day off is within the rights of all pilots at all times, and while it is possible that there may be some difficulty in crewing flights, it also exposes a possible shortfall in numbers. The rest simply involve a less than economical approach to the operation, something available to all pilots all the time as well. The important thing here is that the Pilots are upholding the safety first mentality while applying the full force of the active PIA clauses and simultaneously retaining the QANTAS product to the greatest extent possible.
It is also important to note that the really damaging clauses remain in potentia, and to date have not been in widespread or protracted use. They remain in play should it be necessary to escalate matters. Obviously all parties are working to avoid that course of action.
Take from that what you will.
.Now to the industrial action. I'm told the only PIA being used is of a very soft nature at this time and not nearly as disruptive to passengers as it may have been suggested. Choosing to retain ones time off rather than accepting a duty on a day off is within the rights of all pilots at all times, and while it is possible that there may be some difficulty in crewing flights, it also exposes a possible shortfall in numbers. The rest simply involve a less than economical approach to the operation, something available to all pilots all the time as well. The important thing here is that the Pilots are upholding the safety first mentality while applying the full force of the active PIA clauses and simultaneously retaining the QANTAS product to the greatest extent possible.
It is also important to note that the really damaging clauses remain in potentia, and to date have not been in widespread or protracted use. They remain in play should it be necessary to escalate matters. Obviously all parties are working to avoid that course of action.
Take from that what you will.
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SIUYA - the difference is that Q400 reliability is a lot better than 717's.
What is making things worse is that a lot on SLF's were already trying to avoid 717's and go for a Q400 or 737 - and this was before the current PIA
What is making things worse is that a lot on SLF's were already trying to avoid 717's and go for a Q400 or 737 - and this was before the current PIA
If the truth were to escape, you would be amazed at why these cancellations really occurred. But the truth as released by the QF PR experts will suffice .
I personally applaud the Cobham pilots attempting to better their terms and conditions. The time is now, demographics and structural shortage can help get back what adversarial IR stripped away.
Probably an extreme case but have a lot what happened to the BHP Tug Boat drivers in Port Hedland. Played industrial hardball won the fight but lost the war when they all got fired a month later.
The whole reason that large corporations use contract labour is that they can easily remove them if required.
No operational spares
If AJ could get more 717s, he would. They break down just like any other aircraft. If a DHC8, 737, Airbus, etc.. goes u/s, there might be one in a hangar or sitting around on an apron that can be used instead with minimal or no inconvenience to the travelling public.
Cobham are short of crews just like every other airline and every other airline are cancelling flights for one reason or another as well.
Cobham are short of crews just like every other airline and every other airline are cancelling flights for one reason or another as well.
Network or Alliance would be more than capable
I guess the 717 could be crewed by a different company again, but all that stuff takes time.
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About 20% of the FO workforce has left this year, many more waiting on start dates. Very few have been replaced.
A large number of captains (including sim check) have left, many more awaiting the outcome of this negotiation to decide on applications.
Flights are getting cancelled because good will (work on RDO's and extending) has been withdrawn. No crew = no flight.
Ask the domestic mainline pilots how much "excess capacity" they have to absorb the extra 75,000 hours per year of flying the 717 does.
Ask the Qlink pilots how much "excess capacity" they have. Pretty sure that next year the 717 is again going to pickup up more QLD regional stuff due to "resource shortages" at the Link.
How long do you think it will take to find 200 pilots and train them up on such an orphan type? How much will that cost?
The Cobham contract will end, probably sooner than 2027, but that will be due to the end of life of the type.
The cost of "greenfielding" this operation by far outweighs the benefit of sticking it to a couple of hundred pilots trying to save their company. Yes, you heard me, SAVE COBHAM. Cobham seem incapable of grasping the fact that they cannot retain or attract pilots due to the sub par T&C's that they offer. Without being able to provide QANTAS with the product that they trade in, they are rendering themselves obsolete.
A large number of captains (including sim check) have left, many more awaiting the outcome of this negotiation to decide on applications.
Flights are getting cancelled because good will (work on RDO's and extending) has been withdrawn. No crew = no flight.
No it will end with them being unemployed when they lose their contract. QF will then either move the flying in house or outsource to another contractor. Network or Alliance would be more than capable, not to mention some other green fields operation that might pop up
Ask the Qlink pilots how much "excess capacity" they have. Pretty sure that next year the 717 is again going to pickup up more QLD regional stuff due to "resource shortages" at the Link.
How long do you think it will take to find 200 pilots and train them up on such an orphan type? How much will that cost?
The Cobham contract will end, probably sooner than 2027, but that will be due to the end of life of the type.
The cost of "greenfielding" this operation by far outweighs the benefit of sticking it to a couple of hundred pilots trying to save their company. Yes, you heard me, SAVE COBHAM. Cobham seem incapable of grasping the fact that they cannot retain or attract pilots due to the sub par T&C's that they offer. Without being able to provide QANTAS with the product that they trade in, they are rendering themselves obsolete.
You see...we'll give Network shiny new Airbus toys to repay you for your petulance and belligerence. Take that! And what is AIPA doing? Probably already offering concessions.
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Those concessions will be the Jetstar tours of duty that Qantas want in the next EBA!!!!!
You see...we'll give Network shiny new Airbus toys to repay you for your petulance and belligerence. Take that! And what is AIPA doing? Probably already offering concessions.
It is pretty easy to see, sit in Europe a bit and watch the game, Australian (southern hemisphere) IR out of sync but it is the same playbook. Ask US ALPA they saw it first.
Just do nothing, let Mr Joyce take it to the market again that the petulant staff are damaging the business and risking the airline,, 'terminal decline' anyone? Kamikazes?
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I Don't think so, atm QF are struggling to recruit, bring on all this junk, at the end of the day they need more pilots, and what I have been hearing they are struggling to get them...
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atm QF are struggling to recruit, bring on all this junk, at the end of the day they need more pilots, and what I have been hearing they are struggling to get them...
MBA's drove unit cost down (reducing terms and conditions), prohibitive training costs meant people found another point to their existence spending money for other qualifications.
Have a read of Ryanair threads. O'Leary is the poster boy of Adversarial IR, there are books written on it. It contributed to making flying an unattractive career.
It is in Europe now, a shortage of pilots, and accelerating as demographics ensures a sizable chunk of senior pilot workforce retires.
It is in the US
Pilot shortage: 600,000 new pilots needed over the next 20 years - are pilotless planes the answer?
Is America's airline industry headed for a major pilot shortage? | Fox Business
With unlimited supply 'down' was the way airline management drove terms and conditions, employing teams of HR/IR to devise ways to do it. Contractors, regional affiliates and the occasional 'terminal decline'
Supply is not unlimited. O'Leary making an embarrassment of himself for without his much maligned pilots, he oversees nothing but a bunch of expensive ground exhibits.
Qantas IR know no other way, but over time they may need to realise globalisation works two ways.
I personally hope the work life balance is restored for pilots the world over.
Are you saying that Alan’s inability to run an airline will be Alan’s excuse to sack the moneymakers
Which goes back to why industrial action as a contractor is futile.
