Att: All Qantas Crew, re: Airbus a330 & recruitment

[peanut pusher]

Just came from a meeting of the xxxxxx development team.
A330-200 will stop flying domestically shortly and we are taking delivery of the 7 x A330-300 next year. They will fly regional international. The A330-200 will be replaced domestically by the 767-300 fleet we have doing asia etc now.
A330-200,300 will be re fitted with flat beds (silver chair project) and have the latest airbus comfort technology. Onboard phone, email,sms etc.
737-800 another 18 will be delivered over the next 18 months taking the 737-800 fleet to 40.
March 2006 will be the first delivery of A380, qf team start work on interior design next month.
Complete upgrade of all j & p class cabins. snack bars and refreshment centre (self serve) built into aircraft interiors.
More information to come with low cost airline news to be released within the month.
Well done to all qantas staff during the Bali, Gulf war 2 & sars down turns. Profit was amoungst the highest in the aviation world. Singapore airlines lost $241 million US for the last half of the year and we all know how good they are at yield management.
Looks brighter for ppruners on wait lists, we have recruitment processes underway for interviewers,trainers & ep trainers as we speak. Expect some news on the job front around xmas time.

[cloud nine]

Thankyou PP,

Sounds like a lot is about to change in the future with QF. Interesting times lay ahead.

You mentioned recruitment around Xmas time. Is this for LH SH? Is there still the talk of casuals, fixed term ect?

[GalleyHag]

Does that mean we at short haul will not be operating the
A330-200 and just going back to the 737 and 767 flying or as some rumours suggest we will be operating the A330 on regional international routes and if so how will QF get around this with the Long Haul FAAA?

Would appreciate any info you can provide.

[MarcAir]

Regarding shorthaul flying A330 you just have to read their EBA (LH) and it was a agreement between the FAAA domestic and international Division that any New aircraft that Qf buy and operate international sectors will be done by the Long haul division. We have a cross divisional structure. 737 shorthaul 747 Longhaul 767 when operated on domestic sectors done by shorthaul 767 international done by Longhaul. there is a agreement that 1% can be done by each other for operation reasons. A330 will be no different. Long haul have lost 747-200 and 747Sp aircraft from the fleet.

747-400/300 767-300 A330 Longhaul (International)
767-300 737-400/800 A330 Shorthaul (Domestic)

At current there is no limit to the number of aircraft a crew member can be endored on!

Unless the company intends to challenge this not sure where they will go!

Hope this help! ;) (shorthaul Crew Member)

[qfmike737]

I just heard today that Qantas is going to start another subsiduary airline to operate domestically to compete directly with VirginBlue. What is the story with that?

[UpperDeckRight]

Big Changes are afoot !!

Media release yesterday confirms the A330-200/300s are to replace the B767s on international routes. The B767s are to go to domestic flying. No idea who will be flying them yet, presumably longahul, as the A330-300 will be fitted with SkyBeds in J class, so they will presumably only fly international routes.

I think the A330-200s will end up like the Boeing 767-300s are now, fly some domestic sectors, and some international. Like the 767s, both divisions will probably operate them.


And in regards to the new domestic carrier:


Qantas plan for no-frills air battle
By Steve Creedy
August 22, 2003


QANTAS has plans for a new low-cost domestic airline, signalling an airfare war with no-frills rival Virgin Blue and dramatic changes in working conditions for many of its employees.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon unveiled the proposed discount airline yesterday as the carrier announced plans to replace 3300 full-time jobs with casual and part-time workers. Qantas is emerging from the worst year in aviation history to report a $343.5 million after-tax profit.

The new airline is to be aimed primarily at increasing Qantas's profits on leisure routes, but it will also allow the Flying Kangaroo to negotiate new workplace deals without the inefficiencies Mr Dixon believes inhibit the mainline operation.

It is the latest development in a massive restructuring that already has the carrier at loggerheads with unions.

The profit news came with a blunt warning that Virgin had reached a "line in the sand" where Qantas would defend its market share.

"We believe that around about 65 to 70 per cent (market share) is what Qantas must defend and we're going to defend it," Mr Dixon said.

But Virgin, in welcoming any competition from a new Qantas offshoot, said it had heard the threats before.

"Ultimately, it is the public who will decide which airline they support," spokesman David Huttner said.

Qantas has been quietly investigating the possibility of a no-frills airline for about five months, but a team headed by senior executive Alan Joyce has now been given the job of taking it to the next stage.

A final decision on whether the project will proceed is due in November.

Mr Dixon was coy about details, but said the new airline would operate independently of Qantas, even though it would be a wholly owned subsidiary.

"We believe there's probably emerging in Australia a position for a low-cost leisure carrier and we think we'd probably be a very, very good group to do it," he said.

Mr Dixon said it would not be aimed at Virgin Blue and would differ "quite substantially" from other low-cost operations.

Mr Dixon said further reductions in the workforce would be achieved through natural attrition.

[GalleyHag]

For those of you on the short list I wouldnt hold your breath for a permanent position. This notice was issued by QF HR today.

A Flexible Workforce -

Greater flexibility is a key element in improving the productivity of the Qantas workforce.

This flexibility enables us to match our staffing levels to the peaks and troughs of our activity and respond quickly to external shocks - which have recently become the norm for this industry.

The greater use of part-timers, casuals and contractors in our workforce has received media attention this week - particularly following the stoppages by the TWU on the Melbourne ramp.

Over the coming two years, we plan to increase part-timers, casuals and contractors from our current levels of 15 per cent of the workforce to between 20 and 25 per cent. We will achieve this through normal attrition of full time employees, full time employees volunteering to work part time and growth.

There have been several misleading and untrue claims that we are attempting to establish a "virtual airline" and, even more absurd, the claim that we are creating a more flexible workforce as an anti-Union tactic. Both of these are untrue.

We will achieve this flexibility through attrition and growth and there are no plans which impact our current employees. As has been the case for many years at Qantas, some workers will be sourced from labour hire companies. We are, and will remain, a large employer of Australians with tens of thousands of full time jobs located in Australia.

All these efforts are to ensure we are a competitive organisation with loyal customers and necessary levels of earnings to reinvest in our fleet. The Employee Roadshow commencing next week will further explain how these initiatives complement the recently announced reorganisation of our business.

[topend3]

so, if i booked a PER-MEL A330 SECTOR ON 08/12/03 theres a good chance it will in fact be ops by an OG- registered 763....

[qfmike737]

Dear Mr Dixon

Is it possible that Casuals get ID90 staff travel back?

Afterall if there is an empty seat on a flight we are just paying for the cost of it anyway.

Ciao

:-)

[Flying_Sarah747]

Do casuals get flight benefits??

[UpperDeckRight]

No, casual employees at Qantas aren't entitled to travel benefits. If they beome full time, they are entitled to travel benefits but not until after six months of full time employment.

In regards to recruitment, I cant see it happening, for the next year or so anyway.

True, we are getting 7 more A330s, but remember they are not going to be 'additional aircraft'.

Before and during the time of delivery of those, we are getting rid of all the B767 200s, and 4 Boeing 767-300s. The A330s are just replacing capacity that we are losing. Read: no additional capacity = no need for additional crew. Plus we still have a heap of crew (Longhaul) on leave without pay etc - all of whom will be comming back over the next year or so.

I may be wrong, but just dont want people falsley getting their hopes up!

[qfmike737]

Do permanent full time positions still exist? or is it getting phased out? I'm a bit confused because I thought that 45% of the workforce will be contractors or casuals?