.What's different this time as opposed to the other previous near financial disasters?
Nev, it’s not so much talk of financial disaster, or the collapse of Qantas. But the foundations for that will start to appear if they try to navigate the next downturn with their current fleet.
The new narrative, out just this week,seems to be that if Short Haul Pilots don’t accept Open slather Network/Jetconnect flying without written scope, that no more 787s can be ordered.
Like a kid being offered an Ice Cream for being good for his mum at the shops, if SH Pilots behave, then we Might be able to get the board to agree to buy more 787s... otherwise, those options are just going to be allowed to lapse. (Alan Joyce has said they won’t buy anymore until the 787 Business case proves itself, so there’s already a conflicting statement to the above, unless 3 months of flying a part schedule has told them what 600 plus aircraft flying around the world already should have).
As we all know, QF can’t fly it’s current fleet forever. Even ratings agencies are starting to notice that they HAVE to spend money on fleet improvements to remain competitive. And Soon! So QF Pilots should be looking at threats like this with the utmost suspicion.
If Qf weren’t to spend that money, perhaps we can analyze what happens when Oil goes back to $100 plus per barrel, and Qf is flying 15-20yr old 747s and A330s against its competition, who have a350s and 787s... (what’s the fuel burn per seat of a QF 744 vs a new SQ 787-10?).