I dont understand how any company, especially QF, can allow the deskilling of its workforce. Aircraft heavy maintenance is a particular learned skill through training and experience. In 10 years time there will be no one left in QF who possess these skills and all the tooling etc, will be gone. I bet my left you-know-what that the 'low prices' wont be around then and you have no option but to accept what the offshore MRO decides that you have to pay, and it wont be cheap. But current management dont care about that, they have boosted their bonuses through cost cutting and are living the good life. Its the next CEO or whoever that will have to justify it all. Perhaps CEO/Managers should be held accountable down the track for something that they did 10 years ago if something happens.
Slightly off track, but who does the maintenance on the RAAF VIP fleet?