eckhard, don't forget your audience, you're talking to Australian wankas.

I believe the bastard has bolted, it’s now out of control in VIC and NSW and soon QLD. This will have major repercussions on domestic travel, QLD and SA and NT should lock borders to NSW and VIC Now!

Alas futility. The sooner we all realise elimination is impossible, the sooner we can move on to sensible progress.

I actually agree with Sunfish on this one. QF will likely need/want a bail out by years end, but I 100% think it will get it.

There is no way the government will let QF go down as the shock to the confidence, or what’s left of it, of the economy and all that’s Australian will be devastating. Little jars of vegemite still get pumped out, foreign owned or not, same for Qantas, nobody deep down really cares who owns it, whether you like it or not, or how it’s financed, as long as it is there. It’s a security blanket and part of Australian culture.

Bring on the Holden/Ford argument etc, but that is very different, death by 1000 cuts that everyone knew was coming and was conditioned to accept it for a very long time. If Corona threatens to take out Qantas, the ripple effect will be disastrous, the government will not let that happen.

If this thing does what the science predicts it will do, overseas supply chains will breakdown. They are already slow. If that happens, the scaling down of the Qantas engineering capability and the closure of the car industry will look like the major blunders they are because offshore maintenance will not be possible. To put that another way how is HAECO doing at present?

I can see a time when we really are “on our own” and engineering capability is going to have to be found or created the hard way. The first thing that will be a problem is engineering consumables: batteries, filters, belts, fasteners, etc. then it gets worse. I would imagine smart managers are already thinking about this.

And this begs the question of the USA picking a fight with China........... Qantas may end up doing B787 double sunrise flights again.

Pondoklabu:Noel Annan told me his definition of Schadenfreude, a term the Germans will tell you is untranslatable: “the feeling a poor man who has no car feels when he is standing in the street and sees two brand new mercedes collide in front of him”.

My post was a warning to Qantas not to indulge in Schadenfreude as. they may go the same way as Virgin if they aren’t careful. You can look up Noel as well if you like. I can’t help about business and other contacts but I value friendship with my local CFA mates just as much if not more.

Another reason why they aren’t in trouble, they’ve just announced a Voluntary Redundancy program for most of their staff. The cost of which would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If they’re facing oblivion by December why then over the next few months do they feel comfortable enough to be handing out thousands of golden handshakes?

Dr, I think even you know that VR is a one off hit, will be very sizeable yes, but a one off. The savings come in years 2, 3 , 4.........etc. allocating cash now for the savings in the future Is prudent and most likely very necessary. But despite all the bravado from the guvmint, as Potsie mentions, QF will not be allowed to fail. AJ knows this. He will milk this for all he can now with regards to you guys and then put his hand out when required and then take a bonus in 24 months because he has done such an amaaaaaazing job. Sound familiar???

Every now and again I venture onto a Qantas (Ozzie) thread to remind myself how vindictive and nasty Australians can be!
We are all -globally - in deep sh1t right now, let's cut each other some slack and show some empathy and kindness.

Even VA in 7 billion plus debt found the money to payout CR to its entire New Zealand operation and most of its Tiger fleet and then go into VA. I wouldn’t take having the money to pay out CRs or VRs as a sign of company health. I’m not saying Qantas are anywhere near that but some corporate savvy accountants are doing the sums here and not wasting an opportunity. As has been mentioned a few hundred million is a rounding error to the red rat.

just hoping for the best for everyone and if you get a knock back email from Dominos as I did, frame it and hang it on the wall!