Alliance F100 for QantasLink?

[Steele Rudd]

Latest from a mate in Perth -- QantasLink has contracted Alliance to paint a red tail on one or more F100 and run alongside NJS B717 to PHE and KTA. Apparently NJS not able to provide enough aeroplanes and crew to meet demand.

Rumour or truth?

[Skystar320]

Now who didnt see this coming................

I will believe it when I see it, more likely to be a WET / ACMI basis but not in the colours of Qantas

[HireTheBetter]

Watch this space people. ;) :oh:

Probably from a different mate to you Steele, or maybe from his mates mate, im not sure, but sounds like a goer.

[bne019]

Here you go guys :ok:


QantasLink to Add Western Australia Capacity
Perth, 16 January 2008

QantasLink announced today that it would increase capacity on key routes within Western Australia from 18 February.

Qantas Group General Manager Regional Airlines, Mr Narendra Kumar, said the airline had entered into an agreement with Alliance Airlines to operate a 100-seat Fokker 100 aircraft, initially between Perth and Port Hedland and Karratha.

"Demand for intra-state air services remains strong in Western Australia, and we are pleased to be able to provide this extra capacity and continue to support the state's resource boom," Mr Kumar said.

"The Qantas Group currently operates 19 return services per week between Perth and Port Hedland and 35 return services per week between Perth and Karratha.

"Under this new arrangement with Alliance Airlines, we will add one additional weekday service on each route, increasing capacity on Perth to Port Hedland by 28 per cent and increasing capacity on Perth to Karratha by 10 per cent."

Mr Kumar said that under the agreement, the aircraft would be operated by Alliance Airline's pilots and cabin crew and serviced by the company's engineers.
http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/au/publicaffairs/details?ArticleID=2008/jan08/3712

Cheers

[R.Cruizo]

Another wonderful achievment by NJS management!

[Mr. Hat]

good luck against the jj

[BR715]

Good luck to alliance. Maybe this will give NJ management the kick in the ass they need and deserve.

[vigi-one]

This will not only affect NJS but will also have consequences for eastern and sunstate pilots. I was under the impression ( as impossed by Qlink management) that the Q400 was the machine to take on the JJ's. the bright side could be another employment opportunity now for current NJS and QLink pilots.

[apacau]

Anyone have any mail on whether the arrangement will come east?

Rather than more 737s as currently scheduled, it would seem a good jet alternative to Virgin's foray on CBR-SYD?

[BR715]

I would have thought also the F100 would show the jj on the east coast routes wats wats as indeed would the 717. However with the state of affairs at NJS regarding crewing and the current ECA negotiations opening up a new base over east and getting more a/c is pretty fair down the list i would think for both QF management and indeed for NJS management. Alliance may just be in the box seat!!!


Well done NJS not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[captwawa]

from NJS website
"National Jet is the only aircraft operator outside the Qantas group entrusted with the Qantas brand and standards.."

will be interesting times ahead when the 717 Contract is due..

[pilotdude09]

Very interesting!!

just hope these are a little bit more reliable than the 717 has been of late, 10 people had to sleep in Karratha airport which is by no means a nice place to sleep because of no hotel accomodation in town!

Bet the crew got a room, funniest thing though, Qantas made no plans to compensate the 10 people.


But this will be interesitng in a few years when the 717 contract comes up for renewal, Alliance may just get a look in, wonder if they will paint it up etc?

Anyone know when they start actually flying for QF?

So sounds like Karratha should get 3-4 services extra a week, good news i guess and keeps the competiton away as who ever would looking at coming here would not be able to compete with the frequency.

[topend3]

the article says it all pilotdude. 1 extra service per weekday from 18 Feb though I notice flights are not loaded on qantas.com yet. is this that bad a reflection on njs or just that they need more 717's than the 11 they are currently operating and traffic has risen faster than expected?

i do believe from my sources that as more 738's become available these will be used on intra-WA routes more to free up 717's for additional capacity elsewhere. will indeed be interesting to see if they paint the machine up as would this be the first time the roo has featured on a fokker?

[BAe146200]

Still liked those FK100 in the FlightWest livery though!

[727ace]

heard from a reliable source that more are on the way and may be heading down south to take on the jj's

[R.Cruizo]

According to QF ground staff at Karratha, 10 people spent the night at Karratha Airport recently because of B737 break down.

Still doesn't change the problem. NJS missed the work due to crew shortage I believe.

So doing away with crap pay scales and attracting more pilots might be step in the right direction.

[yowie]

Maybe its because Alliance's managment have managed:}to keep the payscales to a level acceptable to Q,without the upheaval that NJ has had of late. Maybe NJ isn't the lowest cost anymore, so Q need a new cheapie to keep playing companies off against each other,as they have done for years with NJ:mad:

[Capn Bloggs]

getting more a/c is pretty fair down the list i would think for both QF management and indeed for NJS management.

Nothing like priorities. Airlines would be great without pilots.:yuk:

[XRlent100]

Yowie,

That's right. Besides Jetstar, Alliance would have to be the lowest paid Jet Jockeys around.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't an Alliance Capt only get $105-$115?

They are worth more!

[neville_nobody]

Their pay structure is different though. Whilst the salary is low it is based on a low number of flying hours. Where as National Jet have a much higher minimum number of stick hours.

[topend3]

from the australian


THE battle for Western Australia's skies intensified last night as Virgin Blue signed a strategic code share agreement with rapidly expanding local airline Skywest.

The Virgin partnership came as QantasLink this week announced a relationship with Brisbane-based Alliance Airlines to take advantage of the resource-rich state's rapid growth in air travel.

The move significantly increases Virgin's footprint in regional Western Australia and gives its passengers seamless access to a network that will now include Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Kununurra while providing additional flights between Perth and Broome.

It allows travellers from February 4 to buy Virgin Blue fares to Perth and connect seamlessly to Skywest flights, while Skywest passengers can do the same in the opposite direction.

Travellers on both carriers will now be able to check luggage through to their final destination and tickets on all codeshare flights will be eligible to earn Velocity frequent flyer points.

Skywest, which only two years ago had three under-utilised 100-seat Fokker 100s operating just five hours a day, will take delivery of its sixth and seventh Fokker 100s in the next eight weeks and all are almost fully committed to regular public transport or resources industry fly-in/fly-out contracts.

At the same time, the airline has added two more 46-seat Fokker 50s for a fleet total of seven.

Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said the airlines already worked together through Skywest's participation in the Velocity program.

"The codeshare agreement is a strengthening of co-operation between our two airlines," Mr Godfrey said.

"Increasing our codeshare partnerships is part of Virgin Blue's New World Carrier strategy to give especially corporate travellers more benefits and more options through an enhanced network to our guests."

Skywest chief executive Paul Daff said the codeshare opened up seamless travel between Sydney or Melbourne and some of Western Australia's premier destinations.

He said the airline hoped to further grow the east coast market and to build exposure to Skywest's WA destinations.

Alliance, which has established a base in Perth, has snared a daily Perth-Karratha and Perth-Port Hedland service with a Fokker 100. The aircraft will be in addition to the two F-100s Alliance has in Perth for resource industry contract work and will be painted in QantasLink livery.

The Qantas Group currently operates 19 return services per week between Perth and Port Hedland and 35 return services a week between Perth and Karratha.

The decision appears to be a blow to National Jet Systems, which operates 11 Boeing 717s for QantasLink and was negotiating with Qantas to bring another online.

But Qantas general manager regional airlines Narendra Kumar rejected any suggestion the Alliance decision reflected any deterioration of the relationship.

"The F100 is providing supplementary capacity for QantasLink due to strong demand in WA," Mr Kumar said.

"We retain a strong and growing relationship with NJS.

"In March 2007, QantasLink extended its 15-year relationship with NJS, adding three B717s to the existing fleet of eight and extending the contract to 2013.

"The use of these aircraft precluded NJS from introducing additional aircraft in the timeframe we requested."

NJS did have spare BAe146 capacity after losing a daily fly-in/fly-out contract with Newcrest Mining but it appears to have turned its back on the type after operating a sizeable fleet with NJS throughout the 1990s.

This situation poses a dilemma for NJS, which is faced with increased competition from Alliance and Skywest with more modern Fokker 100s and Virgin Blue's Embraer jets.

Until recently the four-engine BAe146 had a significant advantage over other jets because of its performance into many of the typically shorter mine-site runways.

However, a number of key resource companies are extending runways to accommodate larger jets such as the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320, thus negating the BAe146's advantage - particularly in summer with temperatures regularly topping 45C.

[Mr.Buzzy]

You know, I could cope with all the NJS bleating a few years back. Everyone knows they are a pack of currants but given the industry today why don't you lot just leave?
There really is life after NJS. The dozy NJS haze will lift off your shoulders as soon as you walk away from that circus!

bbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbbbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[max autobrakes]

from NJS website
"National Jet is the only aircraft operator outside the Qantas group entrusted with the Qantas brand and standards.."


What about JIT CUNNICT?

[AerocatS2A]

Jet Connect is owned by Qantas isn't it? So not outside the Qantas group.

[The Voice]

This arrangement isn't something entirely new to either QF or QQ. QQ have operated QF code share flights previously, and QF have provided load control/ground support etc.

What I find most interesting is, that a certain CEO's worst night mare has happened!

There was a certain document kicking around last year naming QQ as the highest threat to a certain contract ergo terms and conditions for all crew yaddy yaddy yaddy ...

... an interesting manifestation of someones worst nightmare, or a case of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer?

[Capn Bloggs]

What a sad state of affairs: I paxed out of ADL a couple of days ago and saw 3 717s parked, in Qantaslink colours, doing nothing. :{

[Skystar320]

What a sad state of affairs: I paxed out of ADL a couple of days ago and saw 3 717s parked, in Qantaslink colours, doing nothing

They could be in maintenance......

[TROJAN764]

They could be being readied, to head East, to take on the Jungle Jets!;)

[Spanwise Flow]

Been sitting there a while now, some missing 1 or both engines, hardly ready from what I can see. Wonder why they go to waste like this.

[topend3]

What a sad state of affairs: I paxed out of ADL a couple of days ago and saw 3 717s parked, in Qantaslink colours, doing nothing

is bloggsy going to shed a tear when he sees the dirty little fokker with the rat on the tail?

[RENURPP]

One of those three "C" will be departing Adelaide for flying duties VERY soon.
The other two will be in flying order before long as well.

[Gudija]

But who is going to fly them?

[BAe146200]

But who is going to fly them?


One would have thought pilots

[topend3]

are these 3 additional to the 11 they already have in service or broken machines coming back into the fleet...

[RENURPP]

Not broken, they have used different aircraft out of the total 14 depending on the lease status.
Today there are 11 in service with another 3 in Adelaide. Soon to be 2.

There is no shortage of pilots applying for positions and to date only a few have left.
A few have applied, accepted and then been offered better positions some where else.
If some pilots did leave conditions may improve. Until pilots stop accepting jobs they are not happy with, then not much will change. Simple

[R.Cruizo]

Renurpp,
I sure wish I could share your optimism. 85-90 rostered hours a month for the last 2 months. Captains flying together, and pilots being badgered to come in days off to cover for sickness due lack of reserve.

I'm not seeing the results of anybody accepting or applying for jobs.

[topend3]

90 rostered hours a month? Not bad, where do i get a job like that?

[RENURPP]

Renurpp,
I sure wish I could share your optimism. 85-90 rostered hours a month for the last 2 months. Captains flying together, and pilots being badgered to come in days off to cover for sickness due lack of reserve.

I'm not seeing the results of anybody accepting or applying for jobs.

Do you remember our PM of around 12 months ago when you were thinking about NJS???"

[R.Cruizo]

Sure Do,
And with todays envoironment I don't believe there's the interest/influx of people into NJS there was 12/ even 6 months ago, even though Adelaide would have one believe otherwise.

Especially with such a shortage of available crew as mentioned.

RC

[RENURPP]

There is no shortage of guys applying for the jobs. Whilst mobs like REX, Skippers, Air North, ****** and the like have pilots, NJS and the other larger operators will get applications.

Its the piston and turbo prop operators that are and will struggle to attract pilots.

have a look at see how many are at Alteon at present and you will get the picture, they want jet jobs just like you did and will take those jobs on crap money, no offence intended but, just like you did.

[R.Cruizo]

OK then,
If there is so many guys breaking down the doors of NJS to get in, why are we so short of crew? and why have we kissed goodbye to 2 extra 717 flights a day and let another operator in .

You talk of Alteon. I believe 2 courses had to be delayed or cancelled due lack of people. And a 146 course too. They even offered a job to a guy who they did'nt even interview just to get a bum on a seat; don't you think thats just a little bit abnormal.

[wigglewash]

i thought they dont have enough pilots at QF LINK because of the AWA And pilots left so they had a shortage of techys so they just got Alliance crew to do the Fokker 100 in Qantas Colours :)

[apacau]

Another message board is reporting that at least one F100 (FKD?) will have the red rat painted on the tail - the average punter will probably just think it's another 717!

[newsensation]

I think its the beginning of the end for the qantaslink contract for NJS.... i would bale out now if i was there...:suspect:

[XRlent100]

Doesn't the QLink/NJS contract run until 2013. If so I don't see the hurry to get out.

[topend3]

i think any talk of this being the beginning of the end is quite premature

[topend3]

after all the hype it appears this service wont be operating on Monday the 18th anyway. the flights are yet to appear on the qantas website...

[pilotdude09]

It does show up in March, im booked on one of the flights comes up as.....

QF 2666, F100

Has it even been painted yet??