For accuracy the 787’s weren’t deferred they were cancelled. Initially 15 787’s were understandably cancelled after the GFC by AJ. Fast forward to 2012 and AJ cancelled the remaining 35 firm orders for the 787-9’s.
The initial order was for 50 firm(all cancelled)
This is why I can’t understand why people believe that not ordering the 787 was all an industrial bluff and the plane was always going to come.
Look at the proven history of what had occurred:
-
Every single firm order was cancelled.
- Aircraft we had on fleet were being taken away and given to Jetstar.
- The only new long haul aircraft being ordered were for Jetstar.
- We were cancelling routes and reducing frequencies across the network.
- Pilots were being actively encouraged to go and find employment elsewhere or take voluntary redundancy.
These were not threats, this was the daily reality.
How one could stand by and say, “
they won’t wind down international, it’s all a bluff”, while they were doing it right in front of your eyes baffles me.