A Qantas spokesperson in a statement said MoD had brought the company into line with aircraft manufacturer guidelines and with other airlines, including Virgin Australia and Jetstar.
"Modern aircraft have sophisticated systems which alert us to mechanical issues meaning engineers don't need to check the aircraft before every single domestic flight.
"Our cars don't get repaired the same way as they did 20 years ago and the same goes for our aircraft.
It's ludicrous to compare the system of maintenance on a car to that of a complex wide bodied aircraft.
Will fluid dripping from a common drain mast be properly assessed as within or beyond limits?
Will engine pre-flight inspections identify any critical defects before departure?
and so on.........
This spokesman has no understanding of aircraft maintenance and seems to expect that "if it flew in, it'll fly out".
It's a pity that I board my flights via the aerobridge so I can't see the things that matter.
Maybe that's a good thing