There are some difficult questions left unanswered about the future of Qantas as an international Australian flag carrier.
Qantas
Sky darkens for Qantas tormentors as profits in free fall
The sky has gone deep black with threatening storm clouds as Emirates and Singapore Airlines report imploding profits, and Cathay Pacific cuts its growth forecasts in half.
Qantas jobs in media limbo: will they or won’t they slash staff?
Media reports that Qantas is set to slash maintenance jobs at Melbourne airports have been denied by the airline. Who, Ben Sandilands asks, is responsible for the job panic and is it true?
Qantas v Virgin: bad rhetoric but good enticements
Qantas and Virgin Australia customers have reason to feel bemused by the rhetoric coming out of both companies about what they are going to do to each other and for business travellers, writes Ben Sandilands.
Defiant Jetstar to fight dodgy pilot contract claims
A combination of bravado and tacit admission of wrongdoing is contained in a defiant statement by Jetstar saying it will fight the charges laid by the FWA Ombudsman.
Singapore Airlines’ Scoot is cute, except in China that is …
Scoot is also a difficult term to translate into Chinese and other Asian languages, as in ‘flee’ as in a robber ‘fleeing’ the scene of a crime. This is like Qantas insisting on calling itself the ‘Spirit of Australia’ in Japan, which translates as the ‘ghost of Australia’.
Fiji coup: generals seize ‘control’ of Air Pacific from Qantas
There has been another coup in Fiji, this one involving the generals taking over ‘control’ of the national flag carrier Air Pacific, which is 46.3% owned by Qantas, reports Ben Sandilands.
Zooming in on the fine print of Qantas’ China Eastern proposal
In the rush to excite the markets and placate Qantas shareholders has anyone bothered to read the fine print about Alan Joyce’s plan to partner with China Eastern? Four words: ‘subject to regulatory approval’, writes Andrew Payne.
Qantas sticking to what it knows with new Asia hook-up
No one with business contacts in Hong Kong or China would be in any doubt that this is potentially a huge opportunity for Qantas.
Qantas arcs up at Virgin’s restructure plan
Qantas has lodged an objection against Virgin Australia’s plan to restructure its operations to take on board new stakeholders.
Tiger uncaged … now for the airfare wars
Expect fierce fare wars to break out in the domestic market following this morning’s reinvention of Singapore-owned and listed Tiger Airways as a low-fare carrier focused on Melbourne and Sydney.
Media briefs: New online Tele … Rupert visits Wapping … Ten’s NRL bid …
Yesterday, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper “refreshed” its website. Plus other media news of the day …
Qantas ditches share dividend again — and 500 jobs
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce this morning delivered what he conceded was a poor half-year-to-December 31 performance by the company, while leaving considerable uncertainty hanging over jobs and services.
Media briefs: Guessing on Magda … Sony hikes Whitney … BBC breaches …
Comedian Magda Szubanski is the latest celeb to lend her support to the Australians for Marriage Equality campaign for gay marriage, but is she officially “out”? Plus other media news of the day.
Thousands of jobs gone
Crikey media wrap: A volatile financial climate — thanks to a high Aussie dollar and pressures from Europe — is resulting in thousands of Australian jobs being cut from finance, retail and manufacturing industries.
aviation industry Qantas mixes oil surcharges and carbon pricing as agents continue doing deals
It is intriguing to see the media regurgitate announced Qantas surcharges for oil prices and carbon taxes when deals have made them irrelevant in terms of international flights, writes Ben Sandilands.
Rating agency drops Qantas to one notch above junk status
Despite having a huge percentage of the domestic market Qantas is bleeding away its reputation, market share and effectiveness in international air transport, writes Ben Sandilands.
aviation industry A reality check for the ‘everything is cheaper’ in China apologists
There is a parallel argument about the importance of China to the future of any Australian airline, and the last two Qantas CEOs have convincingly endorsed that.
More stress for Qantas as Virgin confirms key routes
Virgin Australia confirmed what is only the first substantial addition of wide-bodied A330 capacity to key interstate markets that it will make in the nearer term.
Media silly season shenanigans: a tax on fatty flyers?
Qantas chief economist Tony Webber is a worthy contender for best silly season story spawner for 2011-2012, writes Ben Sandilands.
Pilot losses at Qantas and the battle for the public ear
An AFR story on the probability of extensive pilot cutbacks in Qantas long haul sets the scene from a fresh struggle for public, political and investor ears, writes Ben Sandilands.
Asian airlines throw spanners into Qantas works
Events during the past 24 hours are not proving kind to Qantas’ ambitions in Asia. Vietnam Airlines and Malaysia Airlines have thrown spanners in the works.
aviation industry Sydney to become Two Alliance Airport
In a breakthrough for commonsense, Sydney Airport is to replace its international (western) and domestic (eastern) divisions, reports Ben Sandilands.
American Airlines makes Qantas dispute look like a tea party
Anyone who’s bagged Qantas for being hard-nosed in grounding their fleet in the recent dispute should think again and take a look at what the parent company of the huge American Airlines did overnight…
Red Q, Un-Dead Q, where does Qantas go now?
Are claims by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce that it has not dropped its Red Q Asia based carrier credible? It appears to be like the parrot in the Monty Python sketch, not dead, just not talking, writes Ben Sandilands.
