Its interesting to note that the electronic dick keeps bringing up Karratha's fire fighting charges. These high charges are a direct result of HIS policies when he was chairman. He told us all that we must live in a user pays environment. So in isolated places like Karratha, Alice Springs etc, charges are high. Being now in a user pays environment the fire station cannot borrow personel from other stations. If Airlines change their schedule and have a late arrival or early departure, the station has to fund the extra hours internaly, this usually means hireing a new employee which drives up the charge at that airport. In the old days, they could borrow a fire fighter from another station that had a spare. Not any more.
Also the dick keeps on about the dispute in 89. The only productivity increase was by the reemployed pilots but at great expence. 2 years after the dispute the pilots at all airlines had increased productivity by about 20%, but the cost of the pilots employed was 45% greater than not having the dispute and paying all pilots the 29.97% increase that was asked for. They may have been more productive but the cost to the companies was 45% greater, to my mind that equates to a 45% productivity decrease!!!!
He now says that QF will go the same way, even if we do not bring ANZ into the argument AN has been a basket case for years because of their fleet, (not being old, but so many different types) and the doubling up of management!!
QF has 1 management and the following types: (correct me if I am wrong)
B747 classic
B747-400
B767
B737
All other types are by other operators at a contracted price. ie, nothing to do with QF, they sink or swim on their own.
AN at time of failure had 5 management structures: 6 if you include Flight West.
An
Kendalls
Hazeltons
Skywest
Aeropelican
(Flight West)
History has shown that the argument of them all being different companies does not wash. they all sank at the same time for the same reason!!!! The regionals did not bring down AN, most where loosing money but not to the same scale as AN.
Types that AN had:
B747 Classic
B767
B737
A320
Bae 146
SAAB 340
M23
CRJ
F50
(F28)
(F100)
(E120)
(J42)
any others??
The spares that had to be carried alone would have been horendous, then the extra training costs.
Next, airspace and other reform is currently underway which will bring savings to industry. As for the big 2 not regarding the cost of airspace, they have been the driving force in the last 2 years of the Lamp project because they do not want to subsidise the industry. Just because the dick was not consulted and has been left out is sour grapes and he has been working behind the scenes trying to stop the process because it is not the same as his failed dangerous (BASI's words) "G demostration"
I do not beleive he electronic dicks arguments carry any weight.
Thats the rational argument, now for the irrational.
dick, you are a "dick head", go be the proffessional adventurer that you are and leave the mundane to those who have the safety of the travelling public inj mind above big noting themselves above all else. It takes longer than the 3 minute attention span that you have to get this far and to do whats best for aviation!!!!
Sui Generis
Niles