Hmmm.... not exactly sure what this cartoon is trying to portray here? Although it does get one thing correct.
Soon your Qantas flight WILL be arrived and departed by a baggage handler and not an engineer. Cant wait to see what happens when they snap tow bars because they keep forgetting to put the steering bypass pin in, or have to RTB the QF31 with 450 customers onboard. Hows the strategy going to look and work then Mr Joyce?
Thanks I was rather hoping that was what it was saying. Unfortunately it is true and reminds me of the often paraphrased quote, "How do you end up with a decent small airline? Start with a decent larger one."
On the subject of sacking experienced pilots and staff.
1).At least 100 professional engineers from the technical services department of QF Engineering are to be offered redundancy. I was under the impression that the entire department only had 150 or so tech services engineers so thats close to 2/3rd's of them gone.
2). I believe there will be lay offs in Brisbane Heavy but am unsure of numbers at this stage.
3). Around 20-30 redundancies are expected from line maintenance in Sydney.
4). There will be other redundancies and layoffs in other ports around the country but at this stage it is all hazy and no real information is forthcoming.
5). There will be management positions to go from within QF Engineering but again no real idea of how many.
6). Some pilot positions will be removed and some of those affected will be offered unpaid leave in lieu of redundancy. In a rather bizarre move some pilots will be offered to competitors like Emirates for a period of around 3 years. Yes you read correctly, we are giving our rivals free pilots to compete with us.
If Joyce and the board are really looking to make deep cuts in staffing levels, save money and make real structural change there are plenty of far more relevant places to start. And he doesn't even need to leave the building he is in, in Coward st Mascot to start.
Basically Qantas's fundamental problem is that it is managerially and bureaucratically massively top heavy and the problem continues to get worse each year. If this cancer is not stopped it will destroy the company within 7-10 yrs.
As for the fleet,
Once you push past Joyce's announced 'froth and bubble' over yet another incarnation of the Jetstar brand there is really no good news for Qantas international. There will be 4 747-400's retired in 2012 and at least 2 767's will go this year. A handful of the 747's (the 6 ER's and 3 or 4 RR powered 400's) will be upgraded with an A-380 like interior. There has been stoney silence on the 767 fleet, but its days are numbered anyway. The A-330 fleet needs some rationalization at least in terms of interior fit out. It is expected that when the first 787's arrive and are immediately diverted to Jetstar the A-330's they currently use will be returned to QF and will be in need of interior refurbishment and will have been flogged hard. Apparently you give your nice new shiny planes to your budget airline and return to the parent company the worn hand me downs these days, very smart strategy. As has been reported the final 6 A-380's are to be deferred to around 2019. Frankly this whole strategy is ludicrous. How Joyce expects to return Qantas Intl to profit AND compete with this plan against the likes of Emirates and Etihad is beyond me.
And according to what I read in several newspaper letters columns today, anybody who disagrees with plans like this is myopic and has their head in the sand.
Thanks but I'll stay myopic rather than join these sycophants doing an impression of one of those North Korean leaders statues gazing wistfully, arm outstretched towards a mythical business utopia in Asia.
Look at the make up of the QF board and upper management!!!! Well, for those who haven’t looked into the QF board, management and their previous connections, here it is for you. Garry Hounsell is Chairman of Investec Global Aircraft Fund, leasing aircraft to Qantas. Barbara Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services from 1993 to 1998. She was formerly an Independent Director of the board at Allco Finance 2005-2008. Both companies into administration soon after she left. Richard Goodmanson was President and Chief Executive Officer of America West Airlines. America’s 2nd largest LCC until merged with US Airways. Alan Joyce, left Ansett in 2000, he led the Network Planning, Schedules Planning and Network Strategy functions. Prior to that, Mr Joyce spent eight years at Aer Lingus (a LCC, previous Ansett managerial skills don’t count since it went into administration), where he held roles in Sales, Marketing, IT, Network Planning, Operations Research, Revenue Management and Fleet Planning. Lyell Strambi, worked for Ansett Australia Limited from 1976 to 2000. He served for 24 years at Ansett Australia Limited was culminated in working as Executive General Manager of Ground Services. Jayne Hrdlicka – Group Executive Strategy and Technology, previously worked for Bain & Co consulting, yes you guessed it, they were the consultants for Ansett before they collapsed. They are now back on the scene consulting for Qantas. Lesley Grant, hohum, I feel like a broken record, Ansett when it collapsed. Geoff Dixon still has his finger in the pie along with Peter Gregg, Global Aviation Asset Management lease aircraft to Qantas, who these two own along with David Coe (of Allco Financial fame). If correct, don’t worry about Qantas International earning a return on capital, these guys are the ones eating into it, well above 10%! Bruce Buchanan, formerly of Boston consulting. You guessed it consultants to Qantas. Well there you go, that’s the Board and Management at QF. Professionals at the destruction of other companies !!
That round up of the board and there pasts is a perfect demonstration of why these people are untrustworthy if not out right dangerous. One additional point I would like to add. Geoff Dixon and Peter Gregg are also on the board of Jet Connect. The 100% sham company that fly's across the Tasman dressed just like Qantas but with a distinctly kiwi feel and paycheck. I believe the ABC Hungry Beast TV program did a sterling piece on it recently showing how much of a fraud it is.
All this begs a question that formed in my head last night. If all these jobs have already been effectively off shored then why haven't they been pinged for breach of the Qantas sale Act 1992?
Qantas management has consistently claimed that any maintenance outsourcing is due to a lack of capacity and has made claims that the vast majority is still performed locally. What they WONT tell you is that there is a lack of capacity because they shutdown and downsized whole areas eg: Sydney Heavy. At one point the Sydney Heavy hangars lay derelict and were reliably reported to be the only 747 Heavy maint hangars in the world that were not being used, there was so little world wide capacity. How is that world class best business practice and planning?
Recently Qantas and Forstaff (the sweat shop labour hire company) brow beat the employees at the Avalon Heavy facility in Victoria to accept a less than stellar wage agreement to guarantee that they would win the contract to perform the 747 cabin refurbishment, and retain the heavy 747 check work. Right after they signed they were told that they would now be loosing some of the 747 D and C checks to China because quote "there isn't enough capacity or manpower at this facility to do both". Is this not quite obviously a breach of the 92 sale act?
You also need to look carefully at the definition of what the word "maintenance" means to these people in regard to their claim that the vast majority of it is still done locally. Does it mean major maintenance or topping up the oil after a flight? We know that quite a lot of work has gone to places like China, and we know the quality of work is often shocking or in some cases non existent except on paper. Engineers sent to oversee this work have been known to arrive after a night shift has been on and been given paperwork claiming that days or weeks worth of work has been performed in the space of 8-12 hrs. There have been a huge number of cases of dangerous problems found back in Australia that were done O/S or by 3rd party people locally who lack competent experience. Some examples include: A 737 with a badly frayed aileron control cable that was allegedly inspected and replaced in an O/S facility which was very obviously original and never touched. Failure would have probably led to the loss of the aircraft and everybody onboard. A 747 wing landing gear that was fitted with an incorrect sized retaining nut that had sheared the safety bolts and was less than 1 thread away from falling off, collapsing the gear when it would have gone within probably 2 flight cycles.
If off shoring and outsourcing is such a good idea then why do we never see executive or management positions sent overseas where they could obviously do it cheaper?
5 comments:
Hmmm.... not exactly sure what this cartoon is trying to portray here? Although it does get one thing correct.
Soon your Qantas flight WILL be arrived and departed by a baggage handler and not an engineer. Cant wait to see what happens when they snap tow bars because they keep forgetting to put the steering bypass pin in, or have to RTB the QF31 with 450 customers onboard. Hows the strategy going to look and work then Mr Joyce?
The baggage handler is Joyce, killing the Brand aka Roo, and sacking the experienced pilots and staff
Thanks I was rather hoping that was what it was saying. Unfortunately it is true and reminds me of the often paraphrased quote, "How do you end up with a decent small airline? Start with a decent larger one."
On the subject of sacking experienced pilots and staff.
1).At least 100 professional engineers from the technical services department of QF Engineering are to be offered redundancy. I was under the impression that the entire department only had 150 or so tech services engineers so thats close to 2/3rd's of them gone.
2). I believe there will be lay offs in Brisbane Heavy but am unsure of numbers at this stage.
3). Around 20-30 redundancies are expected from line maintenance in Sydney.
4). There will be other redundancies and layoffs in other ports around the country but at this stage it is all hazy and no real information is forthcoming.
5). There will be management positions to go from within QF Engineering but again no real idea of how many.
6). Some pilot positions will be removed and some of those affected will be offered unpaid leave in lieu of redundancy. In a rather bizarre move some pilots will be offered to competitors like Emirates for a period of around 3 years. Yes you read correctly, we are giving our rivals free pilots to compete with us.
If Joyce and the board are really looking to make deep cuts in staffing levels, save money and make real structural change there are plenty of far more relevant places to start. And he doesn't even need to leave the building he is in, in Coward st Mascot to start.
Basically Qantas's fundamental problem is that it is managerially and bureaucratically massively top heavy and the problem continues to get worse each year. If this cancer is not stopped it will destroy the company within 7-10 yrs.
As for the fleet,
Once you push past Joyce's announced 'froth and bubble' over yet another incarnation of the Jetstar brand there is really no good news for Qantas international. There will be 4 747-400's retired in 2012 and at least 2 767's will go this year. A handful of the 747's (the 6 ER's and 3 or 4 RR powered 400's) will be upgraded with an A-380 like interior. There has been stoney silence on the 767 fleet, but its days are numbered anyway. The A-330 fleet needs some rationalization at least in terms of interior fit out. It is expected that when the first 787's arrive and are immediately diverted to Jetstar the A-330's they currently use will be returned to QF and will be in need of interior refurbishment and will have been flogged hard. Apparently you give your nice new shiny planes to your budget airline and return to the parent company the worn hand me downs these days, very smart strategy. As has been reported the final 6 A-380's are to be deferred to around 2019. Frankly this whole strategy is ludicrous. How Joyce expects to return Qantas Intl to profit AND compete with this plan against the likes of Emirates and Etihad is beyond me.
And according to what I read in several newspaper letters columns today, anybody who disagrees with plans like this is myopic and has their head in the sand.
Thanks but I'll stay myopic rather than join these sycophants doing an impression of one of those North Korean leaders statues gazing wistfully, arm outstretched towards a mythical business utopia in Asia.
Look at the make up of the QF board and upper management!!!!
Well, for those who haven’t looked into the QF board, management and their previous connections, here it is for you.
Garry Hounsell is Chairman of Investec Global Aircraft Fund, leasing aircraft to Qantas.
Barbara Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services from 1993 to 1998. She was formerly an Independent Director of the board at Allco Finance 2005-2008. Both companies into administration soon after she left.
Richard Goodmanson was President and Chief Executive Officer of America West Airlines. America’s 2nd largest LCC until merged with US Airways.
Alan Joyce, left Ansett in 2000, he led the Network Planning, Schedules Planning and Network Strategy functions. Prior to that, Mr Joyce spent eight years at Aer Lingus (a LCC, previous Ansett managerial skills don’t count since it went into administration), where he held roles in Sales, Marketing, IT, Network Planning, Operations Research, Revenue Management and Fleet Planning.
Lyell Strambi, worked for Ansett Australia Limited from 1976 to 2000. He served for 24 years at Ansett Australia Limited was culminated in working as Executive General Manager of Ground Services.
Jayne Hrdlicka – Group Executive Strategy and Technology, previously worked for Bain & Co consulting, yes you guessed it, they were the consultants for Ansett before they collapsed. They are now back on the scene consulting for Qantas.
Lesley Grant, hohum, I feel like a broken record, Ansett when it collapsed.
Geoff Dixon still has his finger in the pie along with Peter Gregg, Global Aviation Asset Management lease aircraft to Qantas, who these two own along with David Coe (of Allco Financial fame). If correct, don’t worry about Qantas International earning a return on capital, these guys are the ones eating into it, well above 10%!
Bruce Buchanan, formerly of Boston consulting. You guessed it consultants to Qantas.
Well there you go, that’s the Board and Management at QF. Professionals at the destruction of other companies !!
Thank you Anonymous (whichever one you are :-D ),
That round up of the board and there pasts is a perfect demonstration of why these people are untrustworthy if not out right dangerous. One additional point I would like to add. Geoff Dixon and Peter Gregg are also on the board of Jet Connect. The 100% sham company that fly's across the Tasman dressed just like Qantas but with a distinctly kiwi feel and paycheck. I believe the ABC Hungry Beast TV program did a sterling piece on it recently showing how much of a fraud it is.
All this begs a question that formed in my head last night. If all these jobs have already been effectively off shored then why haven't they been pinged for breach of the Qantas sale Act 1992?
Qantas management has consistently claimed that any maintenance outsourcing is due to a lack of capacity and has made claims that the vast majority is still performed locally. What they WONT tell you is that there is a lack of capacity because they shutdown and downsized whole areas eg: Sydney Heavy. At one point the Sydney Heavy hangars lay derelict and were reliably reported to be the only 747 Heavy maint hangars in the world that were not being used, there was so little world wide capacity. How is that world class best business practice and planning?
Recently Qantas and Forstaff (the sweat shop labour hire company) brow beat the employees at the Avalon Heavy facility in Victoria to accept a less than stellar wage agreement to guarantee that they would win the contract to perform the 747 cabin refurbishment, and retain the heavy 747 check work. Right after they signed they were told that they would now be loosing some of the 747 D and C checks to China because quote "there isn't enough capacity or manpower at this facility to do both". Is this not quite obviously a breach of the 92 sale act?
You also need to look carefully at the definition of what the word "maintenance" means to these people in regard to their claim that the vast majority of it is still done locally. Does it mean major maintenance or topping up the oil after a flight? We know that quite a lot of work has gone to places like China, and we know the quality of work is often shocking or in some cases non existent except on paper. Engineers sent to oversee this work have been known to arrive after a night shift has been on and been given paperwork claiming that days or weeks worth of work has been performed in the space of 8-12 hrs. There have been a huge number of cases of dangerous problems found back in Australia that were done O/S or by 3rd party people locally who lack competent experience. Some examples include: A 737 with a badly frayed aileron control cable that was allegedly inspected and replaced in an O/S facility which was very obviously original and never touched. Failure would have probably led to the loss of the aircraft and everybody onboard. A 747 wing landing gear that was fitted with an incorrect sized retaining nut that had sheared the safety bolts and was less than 1 thread away from falling off, collapsing the gear when it would have gone within probably 2 flight cycles.
If off shoring and outsourcing is such a good idea then why do we never see executive or management positions sent overseas where they could obviously do it cheaper?
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