QF to use JQ A320s to Fortescue mines
 

My google alerts today had a headline from 'The Australian' saying that Qantas have announced that they will "...for the first time..." use Jetstar A320s on two Fortescue metals runs.

I couldn't open the article because it is a subscription-only article.

If anyone knows more, please fill us in.

QANTAS will for the first time use low-cost offshoot Jetstar to service a resources contract when it starts flying Airbus A320s to two Fortescue Metals Group mines in Western Australia later this year.

The A320s will allow Fortescue to use bigger aircraft to service its Solomon and Cloudbreak mines, reducing the number of flights to the Pilbara sites.

While the airline was responding to a specific customer request, it has not ruled out using its low-cost offshoot in other charters if needed. This allows it to get more workers to the mine in one shot as well as reduce aircraft availability issues and the dependence on slots at Perth Airport. It also allows Jetstar to boost aircraft utilisation at a quieter time of the week.

“The introduction of the A320s is another example of where Qantas has worked with us to capture further efficiencies for our Cloudbreak and Solomon operations,’’ said Fortescue Metal’s head of infrastructure services, Steve Fewster.

“By introducing the A320s we can move entire operations crews together and optimise the slot times we have at Perth Airport. Coming into the wet season, the ability to fly A320s into Cloudbreak and Solomon will also further improve our resilience.”

At 180 seats, the Jetstar A320 has better capacity than the 100-seater Fokker 100 and 125-seat QantasLink Boeing 717s currently being used to service the two mines. It is also bigger than the 168-seat Boeing 737-800s Qantas uses in conjunction with F100s to service another Fortescue site at Christmas Creek.

The Jetstar planes will fly Tuesday to Thursday from December to cater for peak shift swaps at the mines, something the airline says has low impact on its operations because there is generally more flying on weekends when leisure passengers travel.

Qantas head of sales, marketing and distribution Steve Limbrick said it was a case of Qantas working with customers to put the right aircraft on the right routes at the right time.

“It’s great that we’ve been able to look outside the square to meet the needs of our customer,’’ Mr Limbrick said. “They requested a larger aircraft in order to drive their own operational efficiencies, and we have the flexibility in our fleet to deliver what they require.

“We looked at the total Qantas Group fleet and how we could deliver a larger jet aircraft.’’

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia have boosted their footprint in the resources industry.

Qantas acquired Network Aviation in 2010 and has expanded its presence and now has about 30 per cent of the West Australian charter market. Network employs 300 people and operates a fleet of 12 F100s equipped with the latest navigation systems to allow them to land at remote mine sites in bad weather or poor light.

Virgin Australia acquired Perth-based Skywest in 2013 with a similar objective of snaring a bigger share of the resources market.

Perth based Tech Crew

Offshore Cabin Crew due Charter not RPT

PER to BME not far behind

KTA to DPS very close

QF KTA LAMES on A320 training

That's great news for the Perth based pilots.
Recently losing Lombok and not replacing it would have put pressure on the base.

It's just the start really. As the SMH hinted, with the retirement of the 767 for Qantas, seat capacity will reduce by 459, meanwhile Jetstar increase by 540.

It's all been one way traffic for a while. It's seems to be set to continue.

Is the A320 really "bigger" than a 73-8, or do JQ just squeeze more folk in?

All Economy, no 5 rows of business like the 738

3 rows of business on the QF 738. 12 seats where they could instead have 24ish economy.

.....of Jetstar aircraft. Probably not quite so exciting for Qantas Perth based pilots.

The cynic in me thinks this would generate substantial profit for Jetstar and significant local operational loss (in monetary terms) for Qantas if previous experience is any guide.

the group adjusts to meet a clients requirements to keep the cash going to QF hands (virgin run A320s) and it's all bad news :ugh::ugh:

spare capacity maybe the 738 can enjoy a back of the clock bali return :ok:

I'd be more worried if I were a Network pilot personally, it's their route. As far as I know Qantas the mainline never flew to these destinations.

I'd be more worried if I was a Q400 pilot in PER. Means that there will be 2 F100's spare. Network recently put a few more ports on their AOC. How's the utilisation of those 2 400's going?

Or possibly move some B717's to the East Coast to do BNE-TSV/CNS.

QF/QLink keep saying nothing is off the table.

I've definitely heard Mainline 737s at Christmas Creek. Not sure if it was a once off or one of their regular charters.

Its not for Christmas Creek it is for Solomon and Cloudbreak (Dave Forrest).

I think the title of this thread is misleading. JQ are using JQ jets for FMG. JQ won a 5 year contract.

I believe domestic JQ crew will crew it. International crew can't operate domestically as far as I'm aware.

Makes sense when the competition are running A320s (albeit ancient ones) too.

It'll be an interesting flight deck on the F100s when JQ crew are jumpseating on familiarity flights. I hope professionalism rules supreme.

whatever the case, i hope jq arent undercutting incumbents just to give those operational spares something to do.

TGG, not quite right. It is a contract that Qantas has with FMG, and they are essentially wet-leasing the aircraft from JQ with crew and all the bells and whistles. Same as Qantas using Cobham-operated 717s.

A source in the know told me a while back that the A320 is better suited to some mines with narrower runways over the 738s, hence why VARA will hold on to theirs for some time.

Charter, no Physical Insertion required. :ok:

QF asked JQ as JQ had the aircraft FMG required, it's a QF (group) contract. I think JQ reluctantly abliged QF's request, this isn't JQ's doman and it isn't as simple as "yeah let's take a 320 into a mine site", months of work has gone into this startup. Once JQ are up and running I quess the flood gates could open?

Jetstar have a lot of very experienced pilots who cut their aviation teeth flying to remote WA airports in jets. I don't think they will be needing to ride in the jump seat of anything to get this going.

QF B738s do double daily charters to Christmas Creek Mon-Fri.

This route, despite also being an FMG charter, is safe for now. :ooh:

I thought Sky West did FDF. Did they loose the contract? Seems QF are the kings in WA.

Ted Nugent:
I think JQ reluctantly abliged QF's request, this isn't JQ's doman and it isn't as simple as "yeah let's take a 320 into a mine site"

Wow, do you really think a pilot couldn't land on a fully serviceable, Tarmac laid runway? You must be on flight sim a little too much.

Yes, any pilot with half a freakin brain can fly to a mine site. No body is asking him to drive the truck or dig for gold, they're asking him/her to land on a runway. Job done, fly the next load home. Why over complicate things?!

Take aircraft...land on runway. Unload pax. Fly back home. What is so hard about it?

Unloading the ULD's for one. The VARA A320's aren't containerised from memory. So that's an extra expense/issue to deal with.

Other than that, a single-class 180 seat jet would seem to be the perfect charter vehicle in the West if the client needed the capacity.

Ultergra, calm down mate!

I was referring to current company ops in general, NOT pilot ability! i.e. flying bogans to the Goldy and Bali, not high vis to a hole in the ground!

Going Nowhere, JQ A320s don't require the containers.

I'd love to see how you're going to plug it into the iPad without doing a manual trim sheet.

No can loaders equals turn around pain. I'm sure the little fokkers will show the boys how to do it.

Yes, most JQ crew cut their teeth flying FIFO. I was a skipper on just such a vessel albeit with a lower wing. Qlink crew could never transition to jets from such a basic machine.

It's just beyond their capability.

I am constantly amazed at the arrogance of QF pilots on this site who denigrate the capabilities of their JetStar/VA or other LoCo colleagues.
In UK LoCo crews are trained to the same standard as for example BA. Do QF crews get extra training in Aus, or perhaps its needed!

How does the difference affect working visa requirement. Anyway Part 121 ops?

There are no CIQ facilities at KTA, are they being added?

memo to the ground staff:
When the first load of fluro comes back from Cloudbreak, Solomon etc... DO NOT repeat DO NOT spill them back into the sterile area. Hopefully you learned the error of your ways last time.

Obviously Cessnapete doesn't have a secure grip on the style of SOH around here...

Relevance?

Please explain?

VARA will be doing Cocos in the A320, allegedly due to Govt requirement, and pavement issues. Zip to do with mines.

Capn, just repeating what a senior official in VARA told me. Could be complete bunk, but that is why they say they are going to hold onto the A320s instead of just relying on VA's 738s. I know they did use those for a short time at Dave Forrest before XR got their A320s.

QF says that FMG requested a larger aircraft than the 738, which is why the JQ A320 fits the bill. I guess it beats flying two F100s/717s instead. Indications are that it will be flying to the two sites out until the end of the contract in two years.

Seems to me that this may be just an absolute stroke of genius by Jetstar..:ok:

Jetstar Announces 'Bogan Miles' Scheme to FIFO Workers

Cheap Flight Specials and Airfare Deals in Australia and Abroad | Jetstar Airlines Australia



Methinks this may usher in a new era of FIFO contracts and the stuffy, sterile services we've seen for many years may soon be replaced by a multitude of orange stared aircraft criss crossing the country in support of our important mining industry and the men and women who drive it :ok:

I must be getting old.

When did methinks become a word?

Is the correct response 'youthoughtedwrong'?

Just asking.....

Not old enough unseen. ;)

From the AOD

METHINKS

(archaic) or (joc.) it seems to me.

Origin: old English. :8

Unseen:To quote the immortal Bard,

Henry VI 3:1


Blueskymine:
I assume JQ use the standard Airbus loadsheet iPad app, and if so, it ain't that hard.

Shakespeare on Pprune - love it!

Hang on, are you suggesting Comyplylot (or whatever he calls himself) reads Shakespeare?? :eek: