Steve, please excuse my ignorance as I am a Driver not a Gingerbeer, but vigilance aside, has management done a risk assessment on
each separate item that they have extended the maintenance interval on - tyres, brakes, engine oil etc? One would assume 'yes' and that they are tracking data to ensure that extending these service intervals is actually effective, reduces any safety risk and of course
lastly reduces costs? Are management going back and reviewing these changes to see if they actually are effective and not causing some inadvertent or even latent risks?
Is extending the intervals done in the name of 'best practise'? Has something changed in the evolution of maintenance for these intervals to now be extended? I assume the manufacturers and CASA are comfortable with these extensions?
The Alaska Airways crash, re: unlubricated jackscrew, often comes to my mind when I hear of maintenance cuts, extensions or intervals. I'm not saying that the aforementioned accident is relevant to QF and I absolutely respect the work the Australian Gingerbeers do, 100%, but management types do tend to skirt the fringes at times for the sake of saving a few bucks, earning some brownie points and receiving a bonus.
Sorry for the string of questions but those of us who don't do the maintenance can be somewhat naive with all the processes and procedures, but are naturally concerned when there is any change to established procedures. One
could assume that in regard to what you mention about VZW that the new procedure isn't working? I could be wrong as there are numerous factors that will cause or contribute to a lower than expected oil level, but my red flag has for some reason popped up!
For those unfamiliar with the Alaska Airways crash;
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/...y/AAR0201.html