DJ aircraft to Phuket for evacuation
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DJ aircraft to Phuket for evacuation
ABC News
Tuesday, December 28, 2004. 5:26pm (AEDT)
Tsunami aid flights leave Darwin
Two C-130 Hercules planes loaded with aid for Indonesia flew out of Darwin's RAAF base today.
The planes flew out of Darwin bound for Sumatra in Indonesia, one this morning and another this afternoon.
They were packed with tarpaulins, fresh water water purification equipment and medical supplies.
Ten medical specialists were on board the morning flight. They will conduct medical assessments and treat victims.
The planes were dispatched from the Richmond Air Force base in New South Wales yesterday and stopped in Darwin overnight.
A third Hercules filled with emergency supplies has arrived in Darwin from New South Wales.
It will leave for South-East Asia in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
The Hercules will remain in Indonesia to assist with rescue efforts in the region.
At this stage, there are no plans to fly victims back to Australia on the planes.
Two more Hercules are expected to arrive in Darwin today, including a plane from the New Zealand Air Force.
Tonight, a Virgin Blue plane will leave Canberra to carry diplomatic staff and emergency equipment to the resort town of Phuket in Thailand.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue says the plane will also be used to bring Australians home.
The flight is being coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, Victorian Treasurer John Brumby has announced the state will give $1.5 million to help victims of the tsunamis.
"This is by far the highest contribution that the state has ever made to a disaster of this type and it reflects that it is within our region, it affects so many tens of thousands of people and it is unprecedented in nature," he said.
==========================================
Tues "The Australian" Late News
Qantas on standby for extra flights
December 28, 2004
QANTAS Airways is meeting demand for flights out of tsunami devastated South-East Asia and is on standby to put on extra flights if needed.
The carrier, which flies to Thailand and Indonesia, said today it was in close contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) over flights out of the region.
An estimated 26,000 people died when a massive tsunami hit South-East Asia on Sunday, triggered by an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale in the Indian Ocean.
The "terrible events" in South-East Asia had had no impact on the airline's business operations, Qantas spokesman Michael Sharp said.
"At this stage there is no requirement to put on additional flights, however we will be able to do that at short notice if it is required," Mr Sharp said.
"At the moment there really has been not much of a change in our booking patterns but we are watching things closely and this may change.
"We are waiving all penalties that might have applied to people cancelling or changing bookings away from the affected areas."
============================================
Tuesday, December 28, 2004. 5:26pm (AEDT)
Tsunami aid flights leave Darwin
Two C-130 Hercules planes loaded with aid for Indonesia flew out of Darwin's RAAF base today.
The planes flew out of Darwin bound for Sumatra in Indonesia, one this morning and another this afternoon.
They were packed with tarpaulins, fresh water water purification equipment and medical supplies.
Ten medical specialists were on board the morning flight. They will conduct medical assessments and treat victims.
The planes were dispatched from the Richmond Air Force base in New South Wales yesterday and stopped in Darwin overnight.
A third Hercules filled with emergency supplies has arrived in Darwin from New South Wales.
It will leave for South-East Asia in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
The Hercules will remain in Indonesia to assist with rescue efforts in the region.
At this stage, there are no plans to fly victims back to Australia on the planes.
Two more Hercules are expected to arrive in Darwin today, including a plane from the New Zealand Air Force.
Tonight, a Virgin Blue plane will leave Canberra to carry diplomatic staff and emergency equipment to the resort town of Phuket in Thailand.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue says the plane will also be used to bring Australians home.
The flight is being coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, Victorian Treasurer John Brumby has announced the state will give $1.5 million to help victims of the tsunamis.
"This is by far the highest contribution that the state has ever made to a disaster of this type and it reflects that it is within our region, it affects so many tens of thousands of people and it is unprecedented in nature," he said.
==========================================
Tues "The Australian" Late News
Qantas on standby for extra flights
December 28, 2004
QANTAS Airways is meeting demand for flights out of tsunami devastated South-East Asia and is on standby to put on extra flights if needed.
The carrier, which flies to Thailand and Indonesia, said today it was in close contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) over flights out of the region.
An estimated 26,000 people died when a massive tsunami hit South-East Asia on Sunday, triggered by an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale in the Indian Ocean.
The "terrible events" in South-East Asia had had no impact on the airline's business operations, Qantas spokesman Michael Sharp said.
"At this stage there is no requirement to put on additional flights, however we will be able to do that at short notice if it is required," Mr Sharp said.
"At the moment there really has been not much of a change in our booking patterns but we are watching things closely and this may change.
"We are waiving all penalties that might have applied to people cancelling or changing bookings away from the affected areas."
============================================
Last edited by Wirraway; 28th Dec 2004 at 06:48.
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At the moment there seems to be plenty of capacity available between BKK and Australia particularly on QF and BA, but the bottleneck seems to be on TG services ex HKT to get to BKK, despite deployment of wide bodied equipment onto this domestic route.
A DJ 737 cannot hurt the situation.
EWL
A DJ 737 cannot hurt the situation.
EWL
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AAP
A Virgin Blue aircraft also departed Canberra last night bound for the ravaged Thailand resort island of Phuket after the Government accepted the airline's offer to transport home, at its own cost, stranded Australians.
The Virgin Blue aircraft will return home with about 175 Australian tourists.
Mr Downer announced the agreement with the airline while defending the Government against criticism that not enough had been done to help nationals get home from the devastation in Thailand.
Australians arriving back in the country from Phuket yesterday spoke of having been left for 48 hours after the tsunami hit without receiving any support from Australian officials.
But Mr Downer said the Government was "doing everything we can", and that extra flights had not been needed to rescue Australians because people had been managing to get on commercial flights.
Mr Howard said that Australian Foreign Affairs staff had "done a fantastic job in a totally chaotic situation".
Australian officials received no requests for medical evacuations from the area, he said.
Mr Downer said a hundred personnel from Foreign Affairs and Defence had cancelled their holiday leave to return to work.
An Immigration Department official has also been dispatched to the Phuket airport to help Australians who have lost passports to obtain new travel documents to let them travel home.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Bruce Billson, also rejected criticisms that evacuation flights had not been arranged earlier.
Ten extra consular staff had been sent to Phuket to help Australians who were in trouble, Mr Billson said.
In Sri Lanka, consular staff had chartered a helicopter to pick up Australians stranded in the south of the island and provided a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get people from remote areas to Colombo.
As well, the Government had engaged the funeral services company Kenyon International to provide a morgue in Phuket.
Airports at three of the big trouble spots, Colombo, Phuket and the Maldives, were operating normally.
Hours after news of the Virgin Blue offer became public, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Qantas had followed up with a similar offer of one of its aircraft, though a spokeswoman for Qantas denied that any such offer had been made.
With AAP
===========================================
Wed "Courier Mail"
Local tourism to benefit
Anthony Marx
29dec04
AUSTRALIA'S domestic tourism market will probably benefit from the Asian tsunami disaster, as tourists cancel or postpone travel plans to affected areas and opt to holiday closer to home.
Airline spokesmen said yesterday that recent overseas violence, such as the September 11 and Bali terrorist attacks, all resulted in an uptick in Australians vacationing around the country.
They expect the regional tidal waves to have the same effect although all say that it's still too early to tell.
In the US overnight on Monday, insurers, hotels and travel-related stocks fell as investors reacted to the devastation in Asia, which could be one of the costliest disasters in history, though the economic impact for the United States appeared to be minimal.
When the local bourse opens today, the main tourism stocks to watch will be Qantas and Virgin Blue and travel groups Flight Centre and Harvey World Travel.
A Qantas spokesman said the tragedy had not yet affected airline operations and all flights were still operating normally to regional destinations such as Bangkok, Jakarta and Denpasar on Bali.
Very few customers had cancelled flights but Qantas has offered refunds and waived all penalty costs if flights were deferred or otherwise changed, he said.
More flights might actually be added to help with aid or tourists leaving impacted areas.
"This is a situation that is going to change and we are watching it closely. Our scheduled services are meeting the demand but if there is a need for additional services, we can do that and we can do it quite quickly. We are in close contact with the Government," the spokesman said.
Spokesmen for rival budget carriers Virgin Blue and Qantas-offshoot Jetstar each said it was still hard to predict the full travel impact of the disaster only 48 hours after the monster waves struck around the Indian Ocean.
Virgin Blue spokesman Amanda Bolger said the airline had offered the use of a plane to shuttle desperately needed aid to the region and a flight was planned for last night through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A Flight Centre spokesman said the domestic travel spike would be a short-term phenomenon, probably lasting only two to three months. The chain of travel booking agencies had already seen a higher inquiry rate, he said.
Regional airlines across Asia have proved less lucky, with share price falls impacting Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines on fears that tourism will slump.
Derek Sadubin, an information services manager with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, predicted just two days before the tsunami hit on Sunday that regional traffic growth would moderate in 2005 following a strong rebound this year.
"Asia-Pacific aviation experienced a strong recovery in 2004, with traffic jumping around 20 per cent aided by robust growth in the last quarter. Traffic growth is expected to moderate in 2005, but double-digit growth is likely to continue in several markets, particularly India and China. Asia's short haul market will show the highest growth levels, as liberalisation and new entries accelerate," he noted.
===========================================
Wed "Herald Sun"
"Virgin Blue sent a plane to Phuket to bring home stranded Australians and Qantas will send a 767 to the island today."
Herald Sun
===========================================
A Virgin Blue aircraft also departed Canberra last night bound for the ravaged Thailand resort island of Phuket after the Government accepted the airline's offer to transport home, at its own cost, stranded Australians.
The Virgin Blue aircraft will return home with about 175 Australian tourists.
Mr Downer announced the agreement with the airline while defending the Government against criticism that not enough had been done to help nationals get home from the devastation in Thailand.
Australians arriving back in the country from Phuket yesterday spoke of having been left for 48 hours after the tsunami hit without receiving any support from Australian officials.
But Mr Downer said the Government was "doing everything we can", and that extra flights had not been needed to rescue Australians because people had been managing to get on commercial flights.
Mr Howard said that Australian Foreign Affairs staff had "done a fantastic job in a totally chaotic situation".
Australian officials received no requests for medical evacuations from the area, he said.
Mr Downer said a hundred personnel from Foreign Affairs and Defence had cancelled their holiday leave to return to work.
An Immigration Department official has also been dispatched to the Phuket airport to help Australians who have lost passports to obtain new travel documents to let them travel home.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Bruce Billson, also rejected criticisms that evacuation flights had not been arranged earlier.
Ten extra consular staff had been sent to Phuket to help Australians who were in trouble, Mr Billson said.
In Sri Lanka, consular staff had chartered a helicopter to pick up Australians stranded in the south of the island and provided a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get people from remote areas to Colombo.
As well, the Government had engaged the funeral services company Kenyon International to provide a morgue in Phuket.
Airports at three of the big trouble spots, Colombo, Phuket and the Maldives, were operating normally.
Hours after news of the Virgin Blue offer became public, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Qantas had followed up with a similar offer of one of its aircraft, though a spokeswoman for Qantas denied that any such offer had been made.
With AAP
===========================================
Wed "Courier Mail"
Local tourism to benefit
Anthony Marx
29dec04
AUSTRALIA'S domestic tourism market will probably benefit from the Asian tsunami disaster, as tourists cancel or postpone travel plans to affected areas and opt to holiday closer to home.
Airline spokesmen said yesterday that recent overseas violence, such as the September 11 and Bali terrorist attacks, all resulted in an uptick in Australians vacationing around the country.
They expect the regional tidal waves to have the same effect although all say that it's still too early to tell.
In the US overnight on Monday, insurers, hotels and travel-related stocks fell as investors reacted to the devastation in Asia, which could be one of the costliest disasters in history, though the economic impact for the United States appeared to be minimal.
When the local bourse opens today, the main tourism stocks to watch will be Qantas and Virgin Blue and travel groups Flight Centre and Harvey World Travel.
A Qantas spokesman said the tragedy had not yet affected airline operations and all flights were still operating normally to regional destinations such as Bangkok, Jakarta and Denpasar on Bali.
Very few customers had cancelled flights but Qantas has offered refunds and waived all penalty costs if flights were deferred or otherwise changed, he said.
More flights might actually be added to help with aid or tourists leaving impacted areas.
"This is a situation that is going to change and we are watching it closely. Our scheduled services are meeting the demand but if there is a need for additional services, we can do that and we can do it quite quickly. We are in close contact with the Government," the spokesman said.
Spokesmen for rival budget carriers Virgin Blue and Qantas-offshoot Jetstar each said it was still hard to predict the full travel impact of the disaster only 48 hours after the monster waves struck around the Indian Ocean.
Virgin Blue spokesman Amanda Bolger said the airline had offered the use of a plane to shuttle desperately needed aid to the region and a flight was planned for last night through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A Flight Centre spokesman said the domestic travel spike would be a short-term phenomenon, probably lasting only two to three months. The chain of travel booking agencies had already seen a higher inquiry rate, he said.
Regional airlines across Asia have proved less lucky, with share price falls impacting Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines on fears that tourism will slump.
Derek Sadubin, an information services manager with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, predicted just two days before the tsunami hit on Sunday that regional traffic growth would moderate in 2005 following a strong rebound this year.
"Asia-Pacific aviation experienced a strong recovery in 2004, with traffic jumping around 20 per cent aided by robust growth in the last quarter. Traffic growth is expected to moderate in 2005, but double-digit growth is likely to continue in several markets, particularly India and China. Asia's short haul market will show the highest growth levels, as liberalisation and new entries accelerate," he noted.
===========================================
Wed "Herald Sun"
"Virgin Blue sent a plane to Phuket to bring home stranded Australians and Qantas will send a 767 to the island today."
Herald Sun
===========================================
Last edited by Wirraway; 28th Dec 2004 at 14:34.
Lancer
I don't believe that there is a "contract" relating to providing aircraft for disaster relief - my understanding is that the government asks the airlines if they can provide aircraft and at what cost. The cheapest normally then gets the job. Qantas frequently gets the job because they often have the right size aircraft and infrastructure in place throuhout Asia. It's good that DJ have been given the oportunity to be involved in this humanitarian operation.
GB
I don't believe that there is a "contract" relating to providing aircraft for disaster relief - my understanding is that the government asks the airlines if they can provide aircraft and at what cost. The cheapest normally then gets the job. Qantas frequently gets the job because they often have the right size aircraft and infrastructure in place throuhout Asia. It's good that DJ have been given the oportunity to be involved in this humanitarian operation.
GB
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
A Virgin Blue aircraft also departed Canberra last night bound for the ravaged Thailand resort island of Phuket after the Government accepted the airline's offer to transport home, at its own cost
Good on you, Virgin Blue 
Thanks Sir Richard Branson, for giving something BACK! That's the TRUE Aussie spirit.
I heard that the Thai Government and other agencies have the Phuket situation in hand as best possible in the circumstances. The worst trauma lies in Sri Lanka, Nicobars and Aceh. It sounds like Qantas is sending an A330 to Colombo for relief/extraction there. I guess all the affected areas need assistance without a further drain on already stretched resources. I just hope they get the assistance and coverage needed to keep the effort going.
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Doug called it right.
Here we are bickering with one another at times, and this cataclysm falls upon our SLF and many good hard working people in our back yard.
I do not think we even have coming close to getting a handle on just how big and tragic an event it has been. If the Earth wobbles on it's axis, it is beyond our understanding.
Well done too to Virgin Blue, and God bless the crew and indeed the survivors they carry. That will be one sad cabin with good reason.
I am still staggering to get a perspective on this, and I wasn't there.
I do know that if I was still with East West, I would have fought everyone else off for the slot of flight Trafficy. At least the crew on the DJ flight can stand proud and say they did their bit.
Best all
EWL
Here we are bickering with one another at times, and this cataclysm falls upon our SLF and many good hard working people in our back yard.
I do not think we even have coming close to getting a handle on just how big and tragic an event it has been. If the Earth wobbles on it's axis, it is beyond our understanding.
Well done too to Virgin Blue, and God bless the crew and indeed the survivors they carry. That will be one sad cabin with good reason.
I am still staggering to get a perspective on this, and I wasn't there.
I do know that if I was still with East West, I would have fought everyone else off for the slot of flight Trafficy. At least the crew on the DJ flight can stand proud and say they did their bit.
Best all
EWL
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Dont forget the QF crews too
I believe QF is on their way to assist too, so i take it your praise is able to be spread to ALL of those people helping out. I understand the crews (cabin) are also volunteering their time.
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well said Blueloo, i dont envy those crews going on the flights... will be very sad for them...
(Copied froma post I made on the JB thread on SE Asia)
And of course thanks to everyone who is donating in some other way.
(Copied froma post I made on the JB thread on SE Asia)
Slap on the back to those who are able to go over and help out... doctors, nurses etc etc, also all of you aircrew who will be going on the evacuation flights... you guys will need your morale kept up I am sure as well as those coming home...... good luck guys and girls for your trips......
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Whilst the tragic events of recent days are cause for the extension of charity to those effected, I would hardly extent the bouquet to DJ with the dispatch of one jet. No, instead, stand by for the brickbat.
DJ management know an opportunity for self promotion when they see it. Ya all think that they would sent a jet to Thailand from the goodnes of their heart?
Dream on suckers!
Let me guess which cost center picks up the tab for the flight..um..Public Relations?
Still, I am pleased for the survivors who were able to be tranported from the scene of this calamity. All 14 of them! Another fiasco..
DJ management know an opportunity for self promotion when they see it. Ya all think that they would sent a jet to Thailand from the goodnes of their heart?
Dream on suckers!
Let me guess which cost center picks up the tab for the flight..um..Public Relations?
Still, I am pleased for the survivors who were able to be tranported from the scene of this calamity. All 14 of them! Another fiasco..
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Thurs "Sydney Morning Herald"
Resorts are gone but holidays must go on
By Scott Rochfort
December 30, 2004
Widespread death and devastation on the shores of Asia's most popular beach resorts have failed to deter many Australians from visiting the region, with airlines reporting few cancellations or changes to their schedules.
A Qantas spokesman, Michael Sharp, said the airline and its subsidiary, Australian Airlines, had received "a minimal amount of cancellations" on flights to Indonesia and Thailand.
This is despite Qantas, along with other big airlines, waiving charges for customers wanting to cancel or defer their travel.
Flight Centre's executive general manager, Allisa Pollok, said by yesterday afternoon the travel agency had been contacted by only one-third of the 220 customers it had booked to go to the devastated resort of Phuket this week. Most of the inquiries, she said, came from people wanting to change their travel plans to other parts of Thailand or Asia.
The Pinpoint Travel Group, which runs Singapore Airlines Holidays, said half its customers booked to travel to the affected areas had requested to rebook their trips to Fiji, Hawaii or Bali.
Peter Harbison, the managing director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, said travellers had become more hardened to traumatic worldwide events following the Bali bombing, SARS crisis and Iraq war.
"One of the happy outcomes of some of the recent less happy events is that the airline industry and tourism industry as a whole is very well geared to recover from these constant shocks," he said.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Australian director, Sugree Sithivanich, said a high proportion of tourists bound for Phuket were rebooking for other Thai beach areas, such as Pattaya and Koh Samui.
Mr Sugree said it could take up to three months to repair most of the damage around Phuket and other affected areas along Thailand's west coast.
"Right now we will work very hard, we will work for 24 hours [a day]," he said.
Despite the widespread devastation, several hotels in Phuket unscathed by the tsunami are still taking bookings. One circular sent to travel agents said "everything is back to normal" and "operating as usual" at the Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket. It said the beach along the resort's waterfront was "cleared and cleaned up".
But the manager of Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, Andre Brulhart, said the only bookings were from tourists from damaged hotels nearby.
"From overseas it's very, very little," he said. "It's not going to be an attractive destination for some time. It will take a long time to restore confidence."
The Sri Lanka Tourist Board said it expected most of its hotels in devastated regions along the country's south to be fully operation within two weeks.
===========================================
Resorts are gone but holidays must go on
By Scott Rochfort
December 30, 2004
Widespread death and devastation on the shores of Asia's most popular beach resorts have failed to deter many Australians from visiting the region, with airlines reporting few cancellations or changes to their schedules.
A Qantas spokesman, Michael Sharp, said the airline and its subsidiary, Australian Airlines, had received "a minimal amount of cancellations" on flights to Indonesia and Thailand.
This is despite Qantas, along with other big airlines, waiving charges for customers wanting to cancel or defer their travel.
Flight Centre's executive general manager, Allisa Pollok, said by yesterday afternoon the travel agency had been contacted by only one-third of the 220 customers it had booked to go to the devastated resort of Phuket this week. Most of the inquiries, she said, came from people wanting to change their travel plans to other parts of Thailand or Asia.
The Pinpoint Travel Group, which runs Singapore Airlines Holidays, said half its customers booked to travel to the affected areas had requested to rebook their trips to Fiji, Hawaii or Bali.
Peter Harbison, the managing director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, said travellers had become more hardened to traumatic worldwide events following the Bali bombing, SARS crisis and Iraq war.
"One of the happy outcomes of some of the recent less happy events is that the airline industry and tourism industry as a whole is very well geared to recover from these constant shocks," he said.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Australian director, Sugree Sithivanich, said a high proportion of tourists bound for Phuket were rebooking for other Thai beach areas, such as Pattaya and Koh Samui.
Mr Sugree said it could take up to three months to repair most of the damage around Phuket and other affected areas along Thailand's west coast.
"Right now we will work very hard, we will work for 24 hours [a day]," he said.
Despite the widespread devastation, several hotels in Phuket unscathed by the tsunami are still taking bookings. One circular sent to travel agents said "everything is back to normal" and "operating as usual" at the Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket. It said the beach along the resort's waterfront was "cleared and cleaned up".
But the manager of Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, Andre Brulhart, said the only bookings were from tourists from damaged hotels nearby.
"From overseas it's very, very little," he said. "It's not going to be an attractive destination for some time. It will take a long time to restore confidence."
The Sri Lanka Tourist Board said it expected most of its hotels in devastated regions along the country's south to be fully operation within two weeks.
===========================================
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All 14 of them!
The people that went over may have been the real reason for the flight. I understand that VB took over consular staff and the federal forensic team which are probably needed more than VB's 737.
Ralph the Bong is it true that QF played their trump card and announced a $1million donation? I wonder which company has the bigger PR budget, if we are going to be cynical.
I would also like to say now is the time to dig deep and give some hard earned to one of the many charities raising funds.
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Qantas
Qantas assists Relief efforts across Asia
Qantas said today that in the wake of the earthquake and series of tsunamis that have devastated South East Asia, it had:
- continued to operate its daily 747 services to Bangkok, and its regular services to Indonesia and India;
- sent Qantas staff to Phuket to assist with relief efforts;
- operated a special 767 flight to Phuket at 1100 today, to bring travellers home to Australia. This flight will accept customers holding any ticket, regardless of which airline they have booked with, and will depart Phuket at 1840 local time, flying non-stop to Sydney and arriving at 0745 tomorrow. Qantas General Manager of Aviation Health Services, Dr Ion Morrison, and Qantas Nurse Robyn Noble travelled on today’s flight to Phuket to assist the injured on the ground and on the return flight;
- arranged to operate a special relief flight to Male in The Maldives and Colombo in Sri Lanka tomorrow, carrying medical teams and equipment to both Male and Colombo and carrying passengers back to Australia from Colombo;
- offered free of charge travel to a team of volunteer doctors from Melbourne to Colombo on tomorrow’s flight;
- provided full refunds without penalty for customers booked on Qantas flights and/or travelling on Qantas Holidays packages to the affected areas departing up to 31 January, as well as offering the option of deferring travel or changing to an alternative destination without penalty;
- flown medical and charitable supplies free of charge; and
- announced that it would donate a total of $1 million to UNICEF, CARE Australia, Oxfam and World Vision to assist with their disaster relief efforts.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Geoff Dixon, said Qantas had been in close contact with the Australian Government since the disaster occurred to offer assistance, and the airline remained in constant contact to provide whatever capacity and help is required.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide any additional assistance required,” Mr Dixon said.
===========================================
Qantas assists Relief efforts across Asia
Qantas said today that in the wake of the earthquake and series of tsunamis that have devastated South East Asia, it had:
- continued to operate its daily 747 services to Bangkok, and its regular services to Indonesia and India;
- sent Qantas staff to Phuket to assist with relief efforts;
- operated a special 767 flight to Phuket at 1100 today, to bring travellers home to Australia. This flight will accept customers holding any ticket, regardless of which airline they have booked with, and will depart Phuket at 1840 local time, flying non-stop to Sydney and arriving at 0745 tomorrow. Qantas General Manager of Aviation Health Services, Dr Ion Morrison, and Qantas Nurse Robyn Noble travelled on today’s flight to Phuket to assist the injured on the ground and on the return flight;
- arranged to operate a special relief flight to Male in The Maldives and Colombo in Sri Lanka tomorrow, carrying medical teams and equipment to both Male and Colombo and carrying passengers back to Australia from Colombo;
- offered free of charge travel to a team of volunteer doctors from Melbourne to Colombo on tomorrow’s flight;
- provided full refunds without penalty for customers booked on Qantas flights and/or travelling on Qantas Holidays packages to the affected areas departing up to 31 January, as well as offering the option of deferring travel or changing to an alternative destination without penalty;
- flown medical and charitable supplies free of charge; and
- announced that it would donate a total of $1 million to UNICEF, CARE Australia, Oxfam and World Vision to assist with their disaster relief efforts.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Geoff Dixon, said Qantas had been in close contact with the Australian Government since the disaster occurred to offer assistance, and the airline remained in constant contact to provide whatever capacity and help is required.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide any additional assistance required,” Mr Dixon said.
===========================================
'Nam has made you too hard Ralph,
Our past concerns are nothing compared with this sort of thing and the suffering/loss involved. It's not about QF/DJ or any of the w@nker PR people/managers involved.
Oz2
Our past concerns are nothing compared with this sort of thing and the suffering/loss involved. It's not about QF/DJ or any of the w@nker PR people/managers involved.
Oz2
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Well, good on VB for finally waking up and realising the PR benefits of helping out. Free publicity and all that?
Sorry, but I'm not naive enough to believe that VB hasn't learned from other recent disasters (Bali?) and the need to be seen to be pitching in.
VB sent that aircraft yesterday as a publicity stunt. Nothing more. They also understand that there is no possible way that they can be critisised for their actions. It's a win win situation. For VB, it is like the inverse racism situation. They simply cannot go wrong.
And the 14 people that travelled back with them likely hadn't realised that the service on board would be sh1t. Everyone else over there apparently did.
So, lets call on VB and Bretty to match QF's 1 million dollar donation. Perhaps they could cease their ridiculous ad campaign and stop posting "Wantas?" all over the place.
Geez....
Sorry, but I'm not naive enough to believe that VB hasn't learned from other recent disasters (Bali?) and the need to be seen to be pitching in.
VB sent that aircraft yesterday as a publicity stunt. Nothing more. They also understand that there is no possible way that they can be critisised for their actions. It's a win win situation. For VB, it is like the inverse racism situation. They simply cannot go wrong.
And the 14 people that travelled back with them likely hadn't realised that the service on board would be sh1t. Everyone else over there apparently did.
So, lets call on VB and Bretty to match QF's 1 million dollar donation. Perhaps they could cease their ridiculous ad campaign and stop posting "Wantas?" all over the place.
Geez....
Last edited by Cactus Jack; 29th Dec 2004 at 21:43.