Pilot Shortage Strikes Again
Announced today due to Pilot shortage the first flight to Brisbane from Gladstone as well as the last flight out of Gladstone will be axed due to quote Qantas Region Airlines Group General Manager Narendra Kumar " the Airline had recently experienced a higher than normal Pilot attrition rate"
These two(2) flights are probably the most important to the Region, used by Business people for a full working day in Brissy or to return to Brissy after a working day in Gladstone, also the General Public who have Appointments in Brisbane such as Medical, as we have no Specialists here.
This can also be seen as a spinoff of the Runway upgrade here not being supported by either State or Federal Govts. If the Runway is upgraded and extended we would have a competitor here to take up the slack and possibly provide some healthy competition. (try pushing $500 one way to Brisbane over the counter).
At least finally the Chamber of Commerce is now waking up to the fact that this Region lives and dies by it's Air Link.
If we have any sort of Wet Season(plenty of time to go) the Runway will, I have no doubt, be closed as it is suffering now. In fact the Q400's are asked to use rwy 28 when operationally possible as the worst area is on rwy10 about taxiway Delta.
The Pilot shortage as mentioned on this Forum, does not happen overnight. The bleeding of GA over the last 15+ years by all Govts. have certainly got a guernsey to wear. Airline management reponsibility surely includes Resource Management which does include Human Resources. No Drivers, No Flights, it's not rocket science.
Forward planning is obviously not a requirement, the dogs have been barking this situation for years
Frothy