Virgin Atlantic and Emirates

[tunnelvision]

On the Grape Vine

Heard a couple of good rumors passed down from a friend of a friend, might be just that a rumor but if not could have a long standing effect on us all that’s including you guys across the ditch.

First was that Emirates just lost a few Senior Captains to Virgin Atlantic. The pitch for them was to help start up a Virgin Atlantic base ex Auckland for the A340 to go through to the States.

Second rumor was that Emirates will soon be building a hanger at Auckland Airport which seems highly excessive if an airline was only planning on flying the Tasman, therefore yes another carrier who has plans on going through to the states ex Auckland

If this is true it looks like the Tasman wont be the only market to be shot in the foot and the future of traveling abroad or around the Pacific will be controlled by foreign carriers flying foreign registered aircraft with excessively deep pockets, who's main aim has nothing to do with the traveling public within Australia or New Zealand, but who will be the first player to control the global market.

Don't you just love NZL's open skies policy and the governments excessive ideals in giving out all our Fifth Freedom rights to anyone that is willing to park in our back yard. Not bad for a tiny country of 4 million. But hey I guess it's not about jobs but really how cheap one can travel abroad!

Makes you think though, wasn't it only a matter of 6 to 7 months ago when the Air New Zealand and Qantas merger was turned down due to unfair competition and now take a look at the grim outlook ahead if the rumors run true.

All I have to say is good on ya Helen.

[Enema Bandit's Dad]

I saw Helen speak on TV the other night. Is she a drag queen? :uhoh:

[mattyj]

did you notice that Helen turned up about 45 mins after Dons speech..Just enough time for Brash to hop in a limo..put on a blouse and a red jacket..fix the wig and badly apply some marginal makeup...and turn up at mt Albert

..Yes thats right..they are the same person!!!:8 :8 :8

[kiwiandrew]

quoting Tunnelvision
"Don't you just love NZL's open skies policy and the governments excessive ideals in giving out all our Fifth Freedom rights to anyone that is willing to park in our back yard. Not bad for a tiny country of 4 million. But hey I guess it's not about jobs but really how cheap one can travel abroad!"

Yes , tunnelvision , I do love the open skies policy - as you say New Zealand is a tiny country of 4 million - it is heavily dependent on trade and tourism - and it is all about jobs - the more people who can afford to visit NZ the more jobs are created - the easier it is for our exporters to airfreight produce abroad earning valuable foreign exchange the more jobs are created .

I am in Belgium at the moment and they nearly die when I tell them how low the unemployment rate in New Zealand is - about a fifth of the rate in Belgium or Germany .

[Enema Bandit's Dad]

Yeah, that's because they all bugger off to Australia and collect the dole here. Seems to happen a lot during lambing season.

[HGW]

Could be they are going to use the plane that sits on the ground in SYD for 7 to 8 hours for a trip to AKL feeding an AKL-LAX flight or alternatively VS crewing the Virgin Pacific planes as they do with Virgin Nigeria.

[sinala1]

VS crewing the Virgin Pacific planes as they do with Virgin Nigeria
At this stage the majority of the crews on the Virgin Nigeria flights are Nigerian, with the exception of 2 x Supervisors and 1 x Flight Service manager. As far as tech crew go, I believe (open to correction) that at this stage the VN flights are crewed by VS guys, but the VN guys are currently being trained?

As far as the OZ-NZ-USA thing goes, lets hope that Pacific Blue becomes Virgin Pacific and opens bases in Australia - wishful thinking? :confused:

[footsore]

even better rumour is that mr dixon knows how there are plenty of pi**ed off aussies are working in the middle east, with current 777, a330 and in the not too distant future, a380 ratings, who would all probably come home and work for less than the existing qf crews. british airways placed a big ad in the two major dailies in dubai advertising for 777 crews back in the uk, using the carrot of 'coming home' as a teaser, so they are already trying the poaching thing. it's the same as mas going to dubai to steal back some of their engineers by offering them a payrise. careful how much you whinge about your lot in aviation, it could always be worse. unfortunately, dixon would probably just do it to screw his most senior (read expensive) drivers and drive the pay and conditions down another notch.

[Believe Brother]

tunnel, the way you write the VS thing is not quite true. However, I think the facts won't be too far off.
As for EK and the AKL hangar, lots of rumours for a couple of years now about how much airfield/ terminal work has been financed from Dubai. I don't think anyone will ever know whether it is or isn't true.

[wessex19]

kiwiandrew,
world bank figures in 2002 showed that NZ had the highest exedus rate on a per capita basis of any nation on the planet post WW2 not including effects of war, natural disaster, famone and genocide!!! There is a very simple reason why unemployment is so low, hold a job in Sydney in any capacity and you will see why BRO!!!