Dash - 8 fleet to go
Qantas has followed up the news that it is now selling seats on its October Airbus A380 route from Melbourne to Los Angeles, by announcing a set of swingeing domestic cuts.
Driven by the escalating cost of oil ” a barrel almost reached $140 yesterday ” Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon said that the changes would focus on the airline”s QantasLink regional operations in New South Wales and Victoria.
Specifically, the cuts will see the axe wielded on QantasLink”s six remaining Bombardier Dash 8-100 aircraft by August this year, closing the loss-making Melbourne-Wollongong route by 18 July and exiting the previously-suspended Melbourne/Sydney/Newcastle service.
In addition the withdrawal of the Dash 8-100 series from the fleet will result in the closure of the maintenance base in Mildura. The older Dash-8 machines have proved to be uneconomical in the current fuel climate and that, coupled with a poor return on the Wollongong route has meant the end of service.
”We will work closely with the affected staff in Mildura to minimise redundancies by offering alternative job opportunities at other QantasLink locations,” said Dixon.
The Qantas boss was keen however, to play up Newcastle”s importance in the group”s overall strategy by insisting that its Jetstar subsidiary would still provide 56 weekly flights to and from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Qantas will also retain its existing flight operations, cabin and ground crew bases in Melbourne and Mildura to serve its remaining Victoria network, including flights to Devonport, Launceston and Canberra.
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