Hugh,
Many including myself empathise with your concern that Qantas may soon take action to reduce the number of pilots it has on its books.
While I have no "inside" information on whether or not, Qantas, will or won’t, reduce the number of pilots it currently employs, - I can unequivocally say that the plausible option is, as you suggest:
· Alternate Qantas group employment for junior AIPA members.
Makes absolutely no economic sense for Qantas to be sacking new hires and/or paying voluntary redundancy to people like me when Jetstar is slated to continue growing. [Can assure you that many of QAN’s institutional shareholders are not imamate of ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul, especially while the Company needs to bolster its free cash flow in order to retain its Credit Rating.]
Delaying the B787 until 2014 will no doubt mean changes to yesterday’s business plan and the obvious solution to the Qantas group’s piloting needs is the Group Opportunity Allocation list (GOAL). Its introduction would:
· Help standardise operational standards throughout the Qantas Group,
· Enhance job security for all Qantas Group pilots,
· Optimise career progression for all Group Pilots in accordance with prevailing commercial reality, and
· Put in place a building block necessary for Qantas’ Globalisation.
As we all know, nothing is certain in life, especially in aviation. Nevertheless, believe changed circumstances will bring the GOAL to fruition in the not too distant future.
IMHO, is no need to sell the new car just yet?
Trust the above helps you rest easier.
Kind Regards
Ian Woods
www.aviationeconomics.com.au
Last edited by WoodenEye; 26th Jun 2009 at 02:29.