Merged: Qantaslink on the rampage: KGI-ADL and TSV-ISA

[apacau]

Well, rampage might be an excessive term...

ADL-KGI with 717 2x weekly
TSV-ISA with Q400 11x weekly (watch out M**air!)

[vigi-one]

TSV-ISA.... Who and what with?

No crew and at least one Q400 in the hangar on a daily basis.

[Aussie]

Lookout Rex! Are Rex the only airline that currently serves the ADL- KI route? Wonder how the loads will be on a 717... Big aircraft for such a short leg!

[boocs]

On the rampage:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Yep it's all hapenin'

b.

[Fred Gassit]

3rd time lucky eh? They could of timed it better, KGI about to head into quieter times I think.

[sthaussiepilot]

Fritz,

I wouldnt say it breaks down all the time...

ENT had very few problems when it was running the route....

[dizzylizzy]

I would have thought it would be easier start another Alliance contract for tsv/isa?

[powersfasher]

From the Townsville Bulletin Newspaper today (22/11/08)



RIVAL IN THE SKIES

BY JENNIFER O’REILLY

******’S stranglehold on the skies from Townsville to Mount Isa could be at an end with QantasLink announcing new services to the mining city yesterday.

QantasLink planned to start services between Townsville and Mount Isa from March, subject to approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Qantas group general manager regional airlines Narendra Kumar said the airline would offer 11 return services each week.

Travellers between the two cities hoped the introduction of another carrier would translate into cheaper fares – currently a weekday full price flight on ****** between the cities can be up to $600 one way.

QantasLink said flight schedules and air fares for the new services would be announced in coming weeks.

“We will offer a range of very competitive fares,” Mr Kumar said.

The proposed services would offer more than 80,000 seats a year with two flights a day, Monday to Friday, and one on Sunday.

The service would be operated by new 72-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft that would join QantasLink’s fleet in early 2009.

The Q400s offer jet-like speed, meaning travel time would be up to 25minutes faster than what was currently on offer.

But for the new services to go ahead QantasLink needs regulatory approval from CASA to use the Q400s on the Townsville to Mount Isa route.

****** declined the Townsville Bulliten’s request for an interview yesterday.

It has come under fire recently for being ‘unreliable’ with haphazard arrival and departure times between the two cities making it difficult for passengers to maintain commitments on the coast.

QantasLink yesterday maintained its new services would not affect its commercial relations with ******.


“This new route will have no impact at all on ******’s existing relations with Qantas,” Mr Kumar said.

****** Airlines is a Qantas commercial partner.

That means it has access to world wide distribution through the Qantas reservation system.

The agreement between the two carriers also currently allows passenger to use loyalty points on a number of services.

****** services almost 30 destinations in its network, with the link between Townsville and Mount Isa being the busiest.


End of story.



Going to get very interesting for ****** when that goes ahead.

No I did not put ****** where the word MaaaccccAIR should be, pprune does it automatically.

[KRUSTY 34]

To have any chance of crewing the service at all, QFLink will have to actively poach the eyes out of the eligible Mackair pilot group. Yeah, that won't affect their "partner" will it? Either that or rob from some other service (Peter) to meet the new commitments (Paul)!

Or maybe they can just go out the back and shake the tree and catch them as they fall out?

They are kidding aren't they!

[Aussie]

Hehe, whoops. Sorry mate. Didnt sound right, but was sure it was KI!

My mistake.


Cheers

[farrari]

Any more news on this

[Alice Kiwican]

Doubt there will be much news for a few weeks when the flight schedules are released.:ok:

[Zoomy]

I thought Ma c air were to operate their upcoming Q400's on this and other routes on behalf of Qlink, Is this not the case anymore?

[dizzylizzy]

... says the new owner who intends to rename ******, 'Ansett'. Told a few people that the CNS sunstate base was going to fold within a year and would be transferred to TSV and working under his new 'Ansett' title.

Maybe something has flopped in the pipeline?

[Skystar320]

what MA-cairs's Q400's?

[dizzylizzy]

They were surposed to operate Q400's from ISA to DRW.

[Skystar320]

yeah what Q400's?

[dizzylizzy]

id imagine CNS base? but that would be a very long day, or if they're going to match flight dep times of ****** it would have to be off a TSV night stop?

[dogfish747]

Thats not good for Makair, as the ATR is due for C check in March? The 2nd ATR is still not in country. The 7th and 8th Saabs are held up still. Yes they where eyeing off Sunstates routes up top, but the Q-400 deal has slowed with the world financial crisis. Maybe a few Makair guys will jump over? But the new EBA is in and $ are flowing into pockets. :cool:

[Skystar320]

The townsville refueler is very informative

[Max Talk]

It will be interesting to see if the people of Cloncurry are going to be included in the TL - MA run as they are with M***** , or just left to hang out and dry.
Also noted a Q link Q400 tied up on the ramp in TL today. That type of reliability will really win friends in the Isa. :rolleyes:
Also, the absolutely ignorant doctor who regularly turns up after the flight has closed, and demands to be put on the flight. And, when he doesn't get put on, complains to the press that M***** are unreliable.

[dizzylizzy]

Surely the reliability that a Q400 offers from Qantaslink is far superior than that currently experienced on the ATR...