Southern closes door.
Thread Starter
Southern closes door.
Southern closes door.
The end of another era this week when Southern Australia Airlines handed in its AOC. The Dash 8 ops now with Eastern and the 146 ops with NJS. It also marked the end of over 20 years service for the Chief Pilot who is moving on to VB in the new year. A job well done and good luck.
Much has been said about how this matter has been handled and it would be an understatement to say it could have been done better. At the end of the day however much credit must go to all the staff for the professional manner that they have shown over the past year, despite the undue stress that has been most obvious in all quarters.
Hopefully the corporate managers may have learnt something from this “exercise” but somehow maybe they are too far removed from the real world to know (or perhaps even care?). One may never know until the Sunstate/Eastern merge?
It will certainly never be the same again, but the memories will live on.
Good luck to you all you"Southerners".
The end of another era this week when Southern Australia Airlines handed in its AOC. The Dash 8 ops now with Eastern and the 146 ops with NJS. It also marked the end of over 20 years service for the Chief Pilot who is moving on to VB in the new year. A job well done and good luck.
Much has been said about how this matter has been handled and it would be an understatement to say it could have been done better. At the end of the day however much credit must go to all the staff for the professional manner that they have shown over the past year, despite the undue stress that has been most obvious in all quarters.
Hopefully the corporate managers may have learnt something from this “exercise” but somehow maybe they are too far removed from the real world to know (or perhaps even care?). One may never know until the Sunstate/Eastern merge?
It will certainly never be the same again, but the memories will live on.
Good luck to you all you"Southerners".
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Yes - so the changeover progresses.
The Dash 8 troops have had their operation and are now fully fledged Easternites, getting used to a bunch of brand new FAs.
The first of the Southern FAs are well into their QF school.
146 Drivers are in the process of training across to NJS system.
Operations is no more (hasn't been since end July) with the troops from there moving to variously QF CSO, Load control, Eastern Flt Ops or leaving the company.
Admin in MQL is slowly disappearing with mainly redundancies up there.
Engineering remains as a standalone company providing maintenance to Eastern, Sunstate.
It has been a pretty sad time with those remaining still trying to figure out how the current situation is better - it must all work out on someones speadsheet somewhere but ******ed if we can see it on the coalface.
As Cogwheel said, hopefully the powers that be have learned from this debacle and apply a little more forethought if they decide to tackle a Eastern/Sunnies merge, but I doubt it.
The Dash 8 troops have had their operation and are now fully fledged Easternites, getting used to a bunch of brand new FAs.
The first of the Southern FAs are well into their QF school.
146 Drivers are in the process of training across to NJS system.
Operations is no more (hasn't been since end July) with the troops from there moving to variously QF CSO, Load control, Eastern Flt Ops or leaving the company.
Admin in MQL is slowly disappearing with mainly redundancies up there.
Engineering remains as a standalone company providing maintenance to Eastern, Sunstate.
It has been a pretty sad time with those remaining still trying to figure out how the current situation is better - it must all work out on someones speadsheet somewhere but ******ed if we can see it on the coalface.
As Cogwheel said, hopefully the powers that be have learned from this debacle and apply a little more forethought if they decide to tackle a Eastern/Sunnies merge, but I doubt it.
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Engineering is still based in Mildura, although there has been a couple of extra guys appointed in Melburne apparently. hey are trying their best with still limited resources.
How long the Mildura engineering base remains is anyones guess.
How long the Mildura engineering base remains is anyones guess.
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We had a lovely farewell dinner down here in DPO to say goodbye to our Southern mates.
I was priveleged to sit next to Tony Matthews who I have always found to be a beaut bloke and a wonderful CEO for a great little airline.
The evening was excellent and sad at the same time. We will miss our Southern mates very badly.
They had a lot of the East West in them.
That can NEVER be a bad thing.
Tony is going to concentrate on growing high quality grapes for the wine trade, and Joyce from Sales is working for the Grand Hotel. Some have moved into the ranks of Quantaslink Brisbane and we are so glad to still be able to call them for help.
Another little bit of our world gone.
God speed and tail winds to all of you Southernites.
EWL
I was priveleged to sit next to Tony Matthews who I have always found to be a beaut bloke and a wonderful CEO for a great little airline.
The evening was excellent and sad at the same time. We will miss our Southern mates very badly.
They had a lot of the East West in them.
That can NEVER be a bad thing.
Tony is going to concentrate on growing high quality grapes for the wine trade, and Joyce from Sales is working for the Grand Hotel. Some have moved into the ranks of Quantaslink Brisbane and we are so glad to still be able to call them for help.
Another little bit of our world gone.
God speed and tail winds to all of you Southernites.
EWL
Thread Starter
Well it's the end of an era. Southern closed its admin today (13 Dec) and all the admin staff have either taken a package or moved on. The engineering division remains with the same management and staff trading under the Southern name contracted to Eastern for Dash8 Maintenance in MEL and MQL.
Well done to all the good folk that worked there. They gave 100% right up to the end. The old QF will never realise what they have lost (until maybe the next balance sheet?).
Good luck and best wishes to all you "Southerners
Well done to all the good folk that worked there. They gave 100% right up to the end. The old QF will never realise what they have lost (until maybe the next balance sheet?).
Good luck and best wishes to all you "Southerners
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Good luck to all in their future endeavours. The culture of the staff is similar in most of the regional airlines in Oz. It's something lost in the large entities......
Even a dog understands the meaning of the word loyalty.
It's a pity the Masters in the Evil Empire don't know, or worse still, don't care...............
It's very difficult to place a value on the goodwill of your staff.
One good resolution last week was the vote on pilot integration. Now is the time to build the future for all concerned.
Even a dog understands the meaning of the word loyalty.
It's a pity the Masters in the Evil Empire don't know, or worse still, don't care...............
It's very difficult to place a value on the goodwill of your staff.
One good resolution last week was the vote on pilot integration. Now is the time to build the future for all concerned.
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I can but concur and say that our friends at Southern were the nicest bunch of people any leech like myself could hope to work with.
They will all be sadly missed.
Another part of the history of the industry has been written.
Eastern has picked up the ball nicely from the Agent support view and it is so nice to get Janine from MQL yield on the phone up here too.
That bit hasn't changed, but in other departments they seem a little too close to the core of the big Roo.
Southern was its own wallaby and proud of it.
Ex Southerners - take it up another 1000 feet - clear the turbulence and do well. We in Tassie will all miss our mates, and will never forget what a wonderful airline you were the heart of.
Best all
EWL
They will all be sadly missed.
Another part of the history of the industry has been written.
Eastern has picked up the ball nicely from the Agent support view and it is so nice to get Janine from MQL yield on the phone up here too.
That bit hasn't changed, but in other departments they seem a little too close to the core of the big Roo.
Southern was its own wallaby and proud of it.
Ex Southerners - take it up another 1000 feet - clear the turbulence and do well. We in Tassie will all miss our mates, and will never forget what a wonderful airline you were the heart of.
Best all
EWL
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As the passing of anything that has stood for some time this is a sad moment. I hope however that everone will be able to pick up the pieces and move on to better things with time.
I have friends at Impulse, whose opportunities for growth have obviously come at the expense of the Southern people. They tell me that they are very aware of this situation and have a great deal of sympathy for those so affected.
All the very best wishes to everyone from Southern.
I have friends at Impulse, whose opportunities for growth have obviously come at the expense of the Southern people. They tell me that they are very aware of this situation and have a great deal of sympathy for those so affected.
All the very best wishes to everyone from Southern.
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Eastwest Loco - Thankyou for all your supportive comments over the last year, you are right Southern was just like Eastwest. The Southern spirit will always be there, even though we have been closed down, we will always be there for each other..
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Jeteffo
The good stuff rises to the top, and is quickly snapped up by other airlines.
Southern will never be forgotten, and having worked for them will be a big plus in anyones CV. East West will never be forgotten either, as long as there is one of us Eeenie Weenies still alive, and the F28 model still sits in pride of place among 40 other aeroplanes in my office.
Living on the razor's edge, trying to touch the sun.
It is the only way to run and work for an airline.
Southern people - never EVER lose the love of your little airline.
It was and will always be something to be very proud of - from Tony Matthews on down through the ranks, the airline will remain with all of us in the industry as one of the last bastions of the real industry.
May those that follow aspire to the standards of those that went before.
Best
EWL
The good stuff rises to the top, and is quickly snapped up by other airlines.
Southern will never be forgotten, and having worked for them will be a big plus in anyones CV. East West will never be forgotten either, as long as there is one of us Eeenie Weenies still alive, and the F28 model still sits in pride of place among 40 other aeroplanes in my office.
Living on the razor's edge, trying to touch the sun.
It is the only way to run and work for an airline.
Southern people - never EVER lose the love of your little airline.
It was and will always be something to be very proud of - from Tony Matthews on down through the ranks, the airline will remain with all of us in the industry as one of the last bastions of the real industry.
May those that follow aspire to the standards of those that went before.
Best
EWL
