Aircraft,
I'm sorry but my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, says that I do have a clue how businesses work. This is exactly the reason that my wife and I own one of the largest online retailing specialty businesses of its type in the world. Its also the reason I have investments in Australia and North America.
Back on track with regards to aviation matters...
The very reason that Australians travel on Qantas is that they associate the Qantas brand as uniquely Australian and of superior safety than other nations flag carriers. To export the brand name and have somebody licence it off as a cheap copy will not "fly" in the Australian culture.
Whether you have political views in favour of the Chinese or not, it doesn't really matter. If you exported the maintenance to India or Canada, it would have the same result as trying to recruit from abroad to fill your Olympic Team. The product is no longer considered genuine in the court of public opinion.
People are already saying, "Why should I fly Qantas, if its not going to be Australian anymore?"
As somebody who has worked in aircraft maintenance, there has been a universally unsolved problem with maintenance oversight on the part of certifying authorities. I saw the same problems with CASA in Port Macquarie as I did with the FAA in John F Kennedy International, where I was the union safety chairman.
This is a major problem for the future of Qantas if they try to export an issue of safety in maintenance to a culture that struggles to take care of their own oversight, and hide behind "saving face". I for one will not fly on Qantas, nor will my family, if this program of exporting to China, such a vital link in the safety chain goes through.
Mr Dixon has done very little for your share price. The behemoth from France may or may not work out. The workers of the Qantas groups and the shareholders will pay dearly for this ego trip if it doesn't meet performance and reliability goals in much the same way that American Airlines did with the MD-11.
Aircraft, you have inferred that any business that doesn't treat its shareholders, employees and customers with integrity is a dinosaur now. I see you are only 21 and from Perth. I sure as hell hope you never get into in airline management, because Sir, you certainly have no clue!
If there is any hope of getting Qantas back on track..and on top; there are changes that must be made at the top and almost immediately.
Last edited by Chris Higgins; 27th Feb 2006 at 13:54.