Brindabella Airlines - new QF partner in NSW

[apacau]

From the YSSY Message Board:

Below is part of the Agent's release on the new Brindabella Airlines. Also see article in today's Canberra Times

* * *

Canberra to Newcastle, Albury and Wagga Wagga services

Canberra based Brindabella Airlines is pleased to announce direct air services from Canberra to some of the largest regional centres in New South Wales.

The airline, founded in 1994 is Canberra’s leading charter operator, and will be operating under the “FQ” IATA code within the Qantas reservations system.

The Canberra to Newcastle route will commence on the 28th of April 2003.

Monday to Friday
Depart Canberra 0615 Arrive Williamtown 0745 FQ001
Depart Williamtown 0805 Arrive Canberra 0935 FQ002

Sunday to Friday
Depart Canberra 1615 Arrive Williamtown 1745 FQ003
Depart Williamtown 1805 Arrive Canberra 1935 FQ004

The Canberra to Albury route will commence on the 12th of May 2003.

Monday to Friday
Depart Canberra 0630 Arrive Albury 0730 FQ005
Depart Albury 0740 Arrive Canberra 0840 FQ006
Depart Canberra 1600 Arrive Albury 1700 FQ007
Depart Albury 1710 Arrive Canberra 1810 FQ008

The Canberra to Wagga Wagga route will commence on the 12th of May 2003.

Monday to Friday
Depart Canberra 0900 Arrive Wagga 0945 FQ009
Depart Wagga 0955 Arrive Canberra 1040 FQ010
Depart Canberra 1830 Arrive Wagga 1915 FQ011
Depart Wagga 1925 Arrive Canberra 2010 FQ012

Bookings: Qantas 13 13 13

Amadeus bookings are available from Wednesday 9th April.
Sabre & Galileo bookings will be available from the end of the month.

Airline code is FQ

Passenger Check-in will be through the Qantas counter at each airport.

Qantas Frequent Flyer points are available for all flights.

Meals are served on the Canberra and Newcastle flights.

[Col. Walter E. Kurtz]

Where does the galley fit in a chieftain?

[Travelling Toolbox]

I can just imagine Jeff B as a "hairy legged hostie" too!!:D :D

Good to see and good luck with the venture Lara & Jeff.

Turbines not far away?

[permFO]

Best of luck Jeff and Lara. Inflight service, well maintained aircraft professional operation, its got to be a winner.

[Ramathorn]

Thanks all, very exciting times for us all. Turbine will come if everybody books a seat and they don't fit in tassy:) Spread the word...

[Northern Chique]

Coundnt the powers that be pick almost any other two letters in the alphabet apart from those two in that order?? :}

Well, best of luck to the nicest people Ive met in aviation...
:)

[Tinstaafl]

A mob I worked for used to x-hire Brindabella's Chieftans. They were always spotless & well looked after.

I wonder if 'FQ' was chosen deliberately for a laugh?

[apacau]

Great news for Brindabella and for Canberra, which finally gets air services for regional NSW. After the airport fought for Hazelton, had a brief flirt with Impulse, we finally have a local company doing the regionals.

It's a small start but I'm sure Brindabella, given their quality operation, will do a top job. We'll look forward to more destinations and some B1900Ds (or so I hear) as time goes on. Ramathorn (JB I assume?) - can you confirm this?

I wonder if they've considered a Bankstown-Canberra route?

[FQ2]

No........ we didn't get to pick the IATA designator. FQ was assigned to us by those in Canada.

However we all agree we couldn't have recieved a better one.:D :D

QANTAS backwards ???? :p :p :p :p

But seriously we are all looking forward to finally getting off the ground. It is an exciting time for us all.

[Ramathorn]

Apacau, I am the other JB (C.P) at Brindabella. SB I trust?

[apacau]

Yes i realised you were the other JB at Brindabella. Your profile says chief pilot after all. No I'm not SB, though I'd love to run the place :-)

I do work under SB (I'm quite new to the job though)...

[permFO]

Hang on a minute, I thought LC was CP of FQ and JB was MD?

[apacau]

Haha I can see the amusement in all this. From my understanding LC gave up CP to JB (mark II) upon having her second child. Can anyone confirm?

[gaunty]

I have no doubt whatsoever, that they are spotlessly and beautifully mantained.

But they are still only an FAR23 type and in this modern age CASA have no business approving them for RPT ops without a fairly comprehensive disclaimer to the intending and unsuspecting RPT passsenger, inflight meal or no.

I wonder whether QF really understand what it means, especially on a code share, if it all turns pear shape and will there be a disclaimer on the Airline ticket to the effect that this or any sector flown using any FAR23 types will have a lower standard of safety applied, regardless of how many CASA stamps it has on it AND notwithstanding Part 121B :rolleyes:

If QF were serious then they would subsidise the fare to whatever extent is necessary to provide seamless FAR25 protection across their network, code share or not.

[bitter balance]

Gaunty, it isn't code share. QF don't codeshare with anything below 36 seats in Oz. Possibly for the reason you mention but probably because that lines up with the Dash 8!

[whogivesa????]

Qantas will not code share with any regional airline in Australia. Qantas only want the cream regional routes and will do nothing to help smaller regional airlines who serve the smaller regional centres.
From what I've calculated the Qantaslink regional network fly 55 routes throughout Australia. The Qantas regional alliance partners (Skywest, ASA, Airnorth, Mac-air, Aeropelican, Horizon, Sunshine Express, O'connors, Airlink and now Brindabella) operate 68 routes throughout Australia. Yet Qantas will not code share with any alliance partner. Four of these alliance partners (Skywest, Airnorth, Mac-air and Sunshine) operate turbine aircraft seating 30 - 46 passengers.

[permFO]

Ah much understanding so let me get this straight - JB Mk II is CP and LC and JB are still MDs of FQ. Will BC still be CFI or does he become FM of the PA-31?

[ditzyboy]

bitterbalance and whogivesa -

Qantas did, until recently, codeshare with Mac air on its TSV-ISA route. Flights were in the QF5XXX range and operated by SF3 with 34 seats.

I wonder why they stopped it. That didn't last long.

[megle2]

Gaunty - Exactly

I can't imagine anybody wanting to do RPT in a Chieftain / C402 ect as a Operator or Pax.

Well maintained or not they don't have what it takes.

As for CASA being a " safety regulator", well thats a lost cause.