Jet operators fight for Qantas contract

[Wirraway]

Fri "The Australian"

Jet operators fight for Qantas contract
Steve Creedy and Geoff Thomas
November 05, 2004

EXECUTIVES at Adelaide's National Jet Systems are confident they can win the contract to operate eight Jetstar Boeing 717s when the aircraft move to QantasLink next year to replace the regional carrier's BAe 146s.

But they face a stiff battle from Jetstar, which also believes it can operate and maintain the aircraft.

QantasLink announced last week that the Boeing 717s would be transferred progressively from Jetstar as the low-cost carrier replaces them with Airbus A320s.

The 115-seat 717s will replace eight 65 to 76-seat QantasLink BAe 146s from next July on routes mainly in Western Australia but also in the Northern Territory and Queensland. The regional carrier will retain two 146s whose leases do not expire until the end of 2006.

NJS is up against a Jetstar proposal to operate and maintain the planes for QantasLink but believes it has the upper hand in experience and contracting know-how.

The Adelaide operator already provides outsourced passenger and freight services to Qantas and Australian Air Express as well as an impressive array of resource companies in Western Australia.

"I think it's an exciting opportunity for National Jet and I think we're pretty confident we'll be operating those 717s," said NJS managing director Daniela Marsilli. "We have quite a lot of experience operating in that environment . . . we've had a long-term relationship with Qantas and we've got very strong and mature safety systems.

"We are a contractor so we know what performance is all about, not just at Qantas (but) we've got Coastwatch and we've got all the resource industry clients."

Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said the low-cost carrier was also confident it could win the contract and was preparing a bid.

Jetstar staff have flown and maintained the 717s since they arrived in Australia under the Impulse Airlines banner and the airline has a heavy maintenance base at Newcastle in NSW.

Mr Westaway said Jetstar would set up engineering infrastructure in Western Australia and the Northern Territory if its bid was successful.

Western Australia is expected to play a major role in the selection process.

NJS has a stranglehold on resource contracts using five BAe 146/RJ70 aircraft and some of these – such as the air service to Barrow Island for a consortium of oil companies – are performed on behalf of Qantas.

Only the BAe 146 can operate into Barrow Island.

Companies such as BHP have requirements in Western Australia that range from Qantas 737s into Port Hedland to BAe 146s into Barimunya.

If Qantas awards the 717 contract to Jetstar, it risks alienating NJS and denying itself access to the BAe 146, which has proved itself a winner in Western Australia because of its economy and ability to operate out of short runways with a full payload in searing heat.

NJS also questions how a Jetstar-style operation would sit with mining executives more used to Qantas business class service.

Qantas is under pressure to remove aircraft types from its fleet as it moves towards adding either the 777 or A340-600 to its operation. Transferring the 717s to NJS, rather than Jetstar, would remove the aircraft as an operational part of its system.

NJS says it will continue to operate its 146 fleet, which it describes as a reliable workhorse particularly suited to fly-in, fly-out operations.

Ms Marsilli said: "It will be around, particularly with National Jet, at least until the end of this decade and probably beyond that in both the resource industry and freight."

==========================================

[MoFo]

NJS won't be dealing with the Bow Tie this time. But lets not go there.

[swh]

Is NJS still owned by the UK based FR Aviation and Cobham aerospace ?

NJS sending the profits overseas ? Which would be better for Oz Jobs ?

[amos2]

I would have thought it's as obvious as the nose on your face who will get this contract! :rolleyes:

[rescue 1]

Of course its obvious - its the other QF darling, Jetconnect!

[pullock]

the BAe 146, which has proved itself a winner in Western Australia because of its economy and ability to operate out of short runways with a full payload in searing heat.

Do these guys claim to be aviation writers sprooking crap like this ???

PPRUNE - Keeping the media honest.

Last I checked "proved" wasn't an englished word either - lets try proven :yuk:

[Capt Basil Brush]

I seem to recall Daniela Marsilli saying a few years ago, when asked about new types considered for fleet replacement, that the 717 was not even a consideration due to it being unsuitable for NJS operations, particularly in the West.

Obviously NJS has no say in what QF want to do, and if forced to operate 717's, they will do it as good as anyone. For the sake of many employees job security - good luck to them.

[cunninglinguist]

SWH, all the employees of NJS are australian citizens, so tell me again how making a bunch of them redundant is good for Oz jobs :confused:

So Pullock, which part of that statement other than the grammar is crap ?

Mofo, I'm not sure thats a bad thing:cool:

[pullock]

Cunninglinguist,

I am surprised that anybody could claim to sing praises of the pig without being of the understanding that they are being rather biased for what ever reason.

Lets start at the statement that it performs well in the heat - it's engines are power rated at 13 degrees C.

Next - it performs well on short strips at full load with four under powered engines that cant make max power beyond 13 degrees C................hmmmmmmm see the above paragraph.

Cost effective and reliable - four engines = two times the likleyhood of engine breakdowns, double the component cost, more drag which in the 146's case means a slower aircraft. 146's are famous for their failures - particularly engine failures - the least reliable engine I have ever seen. What does BAE stand for - -Bring Another Engine...........

The industry is well aware of the fundamental design failures of the 146 - whilst NJS remain the last operator still trying to make the best of the 146, the truth is that by comparison it's just a quaint old aircraft that some operators still use because thats what they have. There can be no denying that there are any number of aircraft that outperform the 146 sufficiently to be called a superior replacement in almost all ways.

With this in mind the statement of the writers of this article that sings the praises of an aircraft that within the industry is known as a lemon makes me question whether they know jack about what they are writing, or just quoting a spiel from a NJS manager?

[cunninglinguist]

well, what can I say Pullock.
AA/QF obviously have kept this a/c on their routes for 12 years because of all the above reasons, funnily enough QF don't own the a/c and more funny, they have kept renewing the leases, until now, and the reasons are not as simple as the 146 being a bad a/c.
Yes, it has many shortfalls, alot of which have been sorted over the years to make it quite reliable and easier to fly, check out the QF despatch reliability over the past year or so before you go on about reliability.
I'm not QF management just a dumb pilot with 10 years/7000 hrs on type and I can tell you they have improved alot over the years.

By the way, what type would you operate to uplift 85 pax out of a 2000m strip, 2000'amsl, 38C ??, surrounded by high terrain.

[commander adama]

cunninglinguist

A 717

[Capn Bloggs]

Pullock, you're a puller, and commander, you're dreaming.

[stickwithit]

250 pax, 2000m, 38degs.... a 76! :E

[geoffrey thomas]

Pullock:
The reliability of the BAe146 that you refer is 1980s/90s. Honeywell and NJS have done an extraordinary job of turning the aircraft's reliability around and it is now one of the most - if not the most - reliable aircraft in the QF fleet, something QF doesn't want to broadcast.
With regard to its performance - that is a simple fact. With four engines its engine out performance from short and high airfields in hot conditions cannot be match by competing twin-engine aircraft.
Re the 717 I think Daniela Marsilli was referring to a version of the 717 with lower rated engines. I understand that QF's have been uprated and will perform very well in the North but will not go into all airports, which is why the BAe146 will be around for quite a bit longer.
And just for the record "proved" is a word.
GT

[cunninglinguist]

stickwithit, I'm not going to argue with you as I have no knowledge of 76 perf. however, you won't be in business very long carrying 70pax around in a 76:ok:

[ditzyboy]

"NJS also questions how a Jetstar-style operation would sit with mining executives more used to Qantas business class service."

It would be QantasLink service on a QantasLink aircraft, with the aircraft being reconfigured to have better seatpitch than mainline. Where are they going with that statement?