Well...my info is as follows
1) Any recruitment into Long Haul will NOT be for casuals at this stage. Operationally, QF finds it really difficult to roster/assign work to casuals (apparently)...they're not getting the efficiencies they'd hoped for, in the same way as they do from the MAM Casuals (for obvious reasons, given the vast differences in their flying).
Long Haul only have a small number of casuals. Don't know if there's a limit on them, like the offshore crew. With the Long Haul EBA up at the end of year, who knows what else will change!
That's as of last week. Stay tuned for any changes of heart from Geoff and co!
2) Even with those returning from Leave Without Pay, a few reliable sources tell me that QF are searching for extra aircraft to start services SYD-Shanghai (PVG is the code from memory)-LHR. Although they now have the ability to go via HKG, a lot of work was put in by QF Mgmt to do PVG-LHR before the announcement. Well, for $47m you'd HOPE they'd use the extra LHR slots they bought before they're taken away from QF (because if QF don't use them, they lose em...)!
Which one they go with - either PVG or HKG - remains to be seen!
All the 747's should be back online by this September, or thereabouts, as they finish refurb (give or take a couple going through Skybed refurbishment)...that could of course, like all things, change.
3) I don't think Short Haul will be performing any recruitment for a wee while - except for more MAM casuals perhaps. Think it may all be Long Haul, and that the planned recruitment for mid this year is to top-up the current shortlist. As has been said previously, the numbers would have decreased markedly. Fingers crossed they don't do anymore culling of the list between now and end of May!
Have read in a magazine today that the next A330-300 is now due in November, with the others to follow. That would coincide with a lot of movement around the network, such as SYD-BOM flights, SYD-PVG and who knows what else! As more 767's go into Domestic (and the 1 other 767 into Australian), that means bigger aircraft requiring - dare I say - more crew.
Don't hold me to this info guys - change is in the wind!
Fingers crossed we all see each other in training schools later this year!
PS. Don't forget guys - Jetstar is recruiting like mad and will be for the remainder of the year.