The VR (Voluntary Redundancy) process was used by Qantas to quickly reduce the ongoing costs of crews stood down in the early phase of the Covid crisis. It was voluntary and came with a lump sum payment to compensate for a known period of no income. For the older members of the group it was a quick and convenient end to a career which was already close to its conclusion. However, there were many who accepted a VR offer but were not close to mandatory retirement age. Put simply, redundancy does not necessarily mean retirement. The aviation industry always follows a familiar slow decline followed by a sharp recovery which is characterised by a shortage of knowledge and experience. A recall of recently terminated crews willing to return for a short term period to assist in the airline’s recovery would be beneficial, and has already occurred in other markets, especially in the U.S. It would be far quicker and cheaper to requalify an already rated and endorsed crew for use in the short term while the airline rebuilds its numbers.