Let's roll on back a few years to the point where Dixon announced Jetstar & AJ was the CEO of JQ.
Dixon declared that JQ would never canabalise Qantas routes or network and there would be GROWTH & OPPORTUNITIES for pilots in BOTH entities.
Either this statement was made honestly believing this would be the case, alternatively made on the assumption that Mainline pilots would sit quiet on the sidelines whilst the LCC slowly replaced QF on mainline routes.
Roll forward to the present and Mainline is currently offering VR's, demoting pilots on 4 mainline aircraft types and quite possibly, once the deck chairs are rearranged commencing CR's.
This goes to the heart of the issue of Mainline's pilots trust of the current Executive management.
The following of either two options must be true;
1. The Qantas Board & Executives have failed so poorly to compete with Qantas competitors on network & product. That the "planned" mainline growth has failed to materialise. They stated there would be growth, recall the 2008 statement EVERY QF mainline FO would be a Captain within 5 years.
Or
2. The Growth of Jetstar & the shrinking of Qantas Mainline was ALWAYS the plan.
To support the position that option 2 was always the plan, consider the following;
1. Mainline operational staff recruitment freeze since 2010.
2. Deferring of A380 options
3. Retirement of B767 & B744 fleets
4. Closure of Australian Airlines replaced by JQ services.
5. Annual leave burn of Mainline pilots
6. Approving LOA for QF pilots
I have to agree, that the Annual Leave burn & leave of absence is a result of the Mainline pilot surplus. But the surplus is a result of the failure to grow mainline with fuel efficient aircraft to adequately compete with foreign carriers.
The mantra, right aircraft right route is an absolute joke. This is evident by the idle JQ B787's and A330's sitting at Tullamarine & Kingsford Smith on any given day of the week.
MC.