Fake News ?
 

The wet-lease application was dated 21 June. The CAA Notice dated 22 June gives ten working days for comments, which might include legal challenges.

That suggests the earliest decision date (about 6 July - halfway thru the strike) is a bit late for a wet lease application to start flying pax services out of LHR on 1 July, unless a bit of rule-breaking is arranged. Starting on 1 July means the aircraft/crews would have to depart DOH very latest 29 June. Has someone at BA got their KIAT on their dates or is this just fake news to frighten the poor strikers ?

Given Unite’s peeved remarks quoted above, the best outcome for them would be to call off the strike after the QR aircraft arrive in the UK and await the result of their associated court case (if it ever happens) while BA picks up the (probably large) tab for a 9 ship round-robin navex DOH-LHR-DOH

In any case the 13 point demands list deadlines about 3 July. Qatar might not be a good place to be after that.

LFH

Just wondering why you think Qatar might not be a good place after July 3rd?

No one is speaking about escalation and this "parting of the ways" that the UAE are speaking about is the same rhetoric since the start.

GCAA are fully adopting EASA regs so can't see any success for Unite on this one.

Well that is not entirely possible as the aircraft do not have the required systems in place and it cannot be compliant by July 1st! Many EU outfits are not compliant after how many years ?

This all politics between BA and the CC (and by implication other unions)

BA managmemt feel they can do what they like but have made a mistake here . Having settled the pay issues they should have tried to calm the whole toxic situation down by not being punitive. But of course they are dickheads and do not know when to stop when it comes to the 'who is in charge ' question.

Very silly move because the whole mixed fleet thing was a festering sore as BA crudely tried to lower staff costs to unsustainable levels and it has largely backfired. Another reason to sack Alex Cruz before he makes a FATAL mistake

Apparently the principal decision is made by the Transport Minister with advice from CAA. Ancillary issues such as Foreign Operator Permit and other ANO matters are handled by the CAA.

The first Qatar A320 arrives LHR this afternoon and the ninth this evening.

I can see no public indication that a decision has yet been made.

Is it "Tanks on the Minister's Lawn" ?

There are 9 320's being observed flying to LHR on FR24 as I type!

So which routes will these 9 operate on?

There are 9x Qatar Airways Airbus A320’s currently positioning from Doha up to London Heathrow

QTR3451 = A7-ADA
QTR3453 = A7-ADB
QTR3455 = A7-ADC
QTR3457 = A7-ADD
QTR7451 = A7-ADE
QTR3255 = A7-ADF
QTR3253 = A7-ADG
QTR3251 = A7-ADI
QTR3257 = A7-LAA

Qatar A320s down to operate to Munich, Brussels, Kiev, Sofia, Oslo, Zurich and perhaps more over the next two weeks.

This could blow up and bite BA in the bum. The UAE have announced this week that they are telling companies that if they work with Qatar then they will not be welcome in UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or Egypt. So when BA are banned from all these countries maybe the shareholders will have something to say about the two clowns who are trashing the brand.

If that happened one would hope the instant response from the UK Government would be to tell EK and the unmentionable one that they are no longer welcome in the UK either. Simple.

Agreed. The ban would work with more locally-based companies out towards the Middle East but if those Governments started banning UK or other European/US/Far East companies (not just aviation) there would be tit-for-tat and aside from the airlines I doubt there would be much else to ban. Banning EK, EY etc would basically kill those economies.

Not a Qatar aircraft obviously, HiFly A340 9H-JAI is due to position inbound Heathrow this evening.

Presumably to operate BA flights from Sunday the 2nd of July.

Former Singapore and Emirates frame so there is a link to this discussion thread.

I think the WTO would have much to say on any kind of organised trade boycott with Qatar
GCC countries can say whatever they like but with all the natural gas in Qatar, a boycott of Qatar by the West won't happen any time soon

If I were Willie Walsh I would regard this as bluster by the GCC and carry on with the Qatar Air wet lease

QR already own 20% of IAG, it's a member of Oneworld and BA and QR already have an extensive joint-venture and codeshare agreement so a short-term wet lease is trivial by comparison.

Also don't forget how much of UK plc is owned by Qatar.

Do QR have to work to BA FTL whilst on lease e.g. the more limiting of schemes

Are there any more weird and wonderful aircraft being leased in by BA ? HiFly Malta seems pretty obscure to me...

In what way? They've been standing in extensively for various UK airlines for a number of years. Not a lot availability in peak season.

Well if BA got really desperate they could always ask AA to do the Tehran run :ok:

HiFly have done many charters as stated. Their aircraft are as good as any scheduled carrier and have all the amenities as well. I can't see the problem using them.

The Hifly A340 was operating LHR - EDI shuttle today