Wouldn't have thought so
But I sure am not an employment lawyer expert type person
Their employment terminated thus redundancy payment & now new employees of a new entity
Would have been a stretch to have that in a clause of re-employment - please pay back to the new entity , the redundancy money you got from previous employment at old entity

The redundancy wasn't that great anyway ? , or am I wrong yet again
Didn't the previous contract have it "capped" at 18 weeks or something, I thought the legal min was 2 weeks for every year ? (other airlines in Aust get 4 weeks for every year if CR)

You wouldn't have to pay it back but service length resets to zero. I'm not sure how seniority works in these situations though.

Pretty sure any of the guys that got the so-called “golden handshake” 😂 - selling homes, working in Woolies (if you were lucky), relationship issues, depression, etc - would have very happily swapped their lot for any takers that remained employed.

**** comment

Pretty much all those I know made redundant used the funds to try and just survive. The cash ran out pretty quick.

Not many if any would be in the position to repay anything.

One of the most self entitled, self centred, lack of empathy statements ever made on PPRUNE, well done you.

But what would you expect of someone who can’t even count?

Little bird tells me that some crews are being rostered for Max difference training?

Hundreds of VA pilots have done the Max differences and still more have done training like UPRT and ZQN port qual in the Max device. Regardless of when the airframes turn up, it benefits the company: Max qualified pilots can do recurrent sims in the Max, reducing the demand on the two NG devices. But all accounts the Max flies nicely and the sim is a great device.

Any substance in whispers N.Z base will eventually open up in Virgin ops across tasman??

Tasman flying ambitions might have changed today for a few. NZ boosting its border charges from $20 to $46 from December 1. That’s the profit margin gone right there, if even that, in what was already a very marginal market.

So a return NZ airfare now totals about $250-$300 of taxes and charges. Renders low cost airlines on the Tasman unsustainable, great work Jacinda.

You’d have to think this is unlikely. Lots of recruitment going on (and more to come) that would have a fair number of the WB crew back on the 73 - but all based in Oz.

The airline is approaching the same number of 737s as pre administration. There is a strong push for ‘efficiency’ especially with the new EA.

The decision to close NZ bases was probably in the mix before going into administration which makes it hard to think they will open them back up. Especially if the ZQN flying is anything to go by for what the NZ schedule will look like - early departures from AUS across the Tasman and back late arvo. That sort of flying can easily be crewed ex Aus.

Many years ago Fiji increased it departure tax from something small ($99?) to $250 and life went on and the tourist numbers kept on increasing. So yes passing the cost on will hurt but there’s always more to the picture. Jacinda has to recover the $120b and rising, she’s spent keeping COVID out, because it want come from government efficiencies.

this will all depend on how VA places its self in the market. It’s all good saying it’s efficient to do SYD-ZQN-SYD, but that’s only 5 hours flight time for the frame. Moving that aircraft to and from domestic is a hassle and doesn’t really fit into a proper trans Tasman or greater international schedule, having the aircraft doing Akl-Syd-ZQN-Syd-Akl suddenly has that aircraft hitting 13 hrs per day, highly efficient. Same with Bne and Melbourne sectors, it might mean a change of thinking with VA overnighting crew in Qn but the fears of crew being stuck there because of weather has long gone with RNP. It’s either Australian based crew overnighting in NZ or having an Auckland base again. There’s a reason why Auckland is the hub for JC,J*, ANZ, it’s the most efficient way to fly the Tasman. It’s a reason why the old PB crew went chc-bne-nan-bne-chc, you’re looking at 13-14 hours utilisation. It’s either that our VA gives up on all the early morning NZ departures from NZ, basically giving that market and it connecting pax/freight to QF/NZ. Let’s see what direction they go?

Sorry - to be clear I wasn’t implying that an aeroplane only doing SYD ZQN SYD is an efficient use of an aircraft. As you said - the aircraft utilisation where the aeroplane starts early morning in AKL and ends the day in AKL is a particularly efficient use of the frame.

The utilisation of VANZ crew (as well as VAI BNE) was particularly low especially when compared to what the VAA crew were doing. Based on that - I would think it’s more likely that Aus crew would overnight in AKL as opposed to starting a new base if the aircraft is schedule to start the day early in the morning in NZ. Having said that, with the opening of ADL there seems to be a push to reduce overnights? When things were ‘normal’ ADL had a lot of aircraft that overnighted - I wonder if AKL will have the same when things pick up, or if it’s more likely to be 3-4 which wouldn’t warrant a base.

Ultimately, until we see a NZ schedule, this is all guess work. The Aus based crew have been told they will be flying the Tasman - in the short term that’s what will happen. In the long term - who knows. But it probably needs to be taken in the context that there are about 850 pilots on the list at the moment who are employed at VA, and they are about to announce more and that’s for 77 aircraft. Hard to see the need for another base opening which would again increase headcount.

Any idea when they release Captain numbers? Do you think any more ac beyond the 77 or that’s it for a while?

It looks more likely that a Syd based airframe would stay on the international side, do a ZQN return from 10am to 5pm then up to Bali, arriving back as a red eye.

That sounds like excellent utilisation to me.

Dunno when but I've heard 24 this year.

The Silkair seven won't all be online until Feb or March. If demand is greater than what can be met there are still ex VA/TT airframes that could be reintroduced.

Jacinta? That's odd, I thought Australia imposed a border charge of $55. Or is that not right?

They don’t have the crew required for the Silk Air aircraft - so that’s next phase of recruitment. Given the first of the Silk Air aircraft arrive this month, with the last to arrive early next year, I think it’s fair to assume the Captain numbers will be released very soon, as it’s going to be a massive recruitment and training effort to get everyone through to ensure all aircraft are fully crewed.

It would be nice to think more aircraft might be arriving - but it’s hard to tell. JQ are saying they will be 110-120% of pre COVID size, plus throw Rex into the market and QF using the QQ Ejets. That is a hell of a lot of aeroplanes that will be flying around Aus next year. I think VA will likely hold at 77 aircraft, and if things are going well, the Max10s that start to arrive in 2023 will be further growth to the required numbers, and then you’ll see a phasing out some of the older aircraft that they have. That’s all pure guesswork though.

It’s all good signs at the moment. Who would have thought this is where VA would be 12 months ago.

Looks as though savings from EA 'adjustments' are going to a good cause.:rolleyes:

Margin Call - The Australian

Quick cash grab. If you were wondering why the once Woolworths CFO who in a previous life did oversee about $50b in revenue, downgraded his job to Virgin, at about $4b, that’s why.

VA counting down the days before they resume their International 737 (Short Haul) flying to NAN next month, with ZQN and DPS to follow in the new year.