The signalling back and forward is part of the game these pelicans play.
Absolutely.
$25 to $45 Million. Ok. Come to a deal that splits the cost between, Qantas, Perth Airports, WA State Government and the Federal Government.
At least call Qantas on their bluff (if it is), and maybe put conditions on the funding if you can. i.e.; start these services, or announce a start date/tickets on sale date inside 18-36 months or we scrap the lot... (?).
In any case, these services are potentially worth multiples per year in Traveller spending and Jobs to the WA and Aussie economy, compared to this initial outlay ($25 to $45 million for a possible potential $100 million plus annual benefit to the wider economy EACH YEAR for each new service). To not at least come to some arrangement to allow these services to
potentially go ahead the way Qantas is saying they are willing to, is lunacy.
Given the sheer amounts of Taxpayer money that is pissed up the wall in this Country on completely useless crap (i.e.; in 2011-13 the WA Government spent $250 million dollars to bring Muja Power Stations A & B out of mothballs only to re-mothball them again without a single kilowatt being generated); surely finding some funding for this is not a great stretch.
there are eight jets. That is all!
Yes, disappointing no more have been announced yet, and they need many more of the remaining 45 options/purchase rights to be firmed up for the success of the organisation into the future.
8 aircraft should be enough however, to do the rumoured initial routes of MEL-LAX, BNE-LAX-JFK, and still have 3 jets or so left for a daily (or near to it) MEL-PER-LHR.