The Qantas Group have announced that about 50 of their staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19. ABC Australia reports that Qantas Group medical officer Russell Brown told staff via webinar, “Most of those were from overseas, but they were taking the precautions. They are wearing masks when flying and being careful, and we’re still seeing…
The Australian government, Qantas and Virgin Australia have reached a deal to rescue Australians still overseas. Under the deal the airlines would fly with an empty cabin, but full of freight to 4 international hubs, London, LA, Hong Kong and Auckland. The government would subsidise the outgoing flights, with returning passengers paying full fare. The…
Qantas has received a letter from SafeWork NSW to say it is being investigated after standing down a COVID-19 whistleblower. The employee is a cleaner, union delegate and elected health and safety rep. They were stood down on 2 February. Qantas told ABC News Australia “A union delegate was stood down pending an investigation…
Virgin Australia was placed in a trading halt this week. The trading halt was to announce that the airline had requested a $1.4 billion ($US843 661 000, £681,863,000, €777,315,000) loan from the Australian government. Virgin has about 6 months of reserves, but requested the loan to “bolster the airline’s ability to reinstate workers once the…
QF741 from Sydney to Adelaide was turned around mid-flight after 6 Qantas baggage handlers at Adelaide Airport were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19. 7 other flights to and from Adelaide were also affected. Qantas said the aircraft turned around because it was unable to be serviced. ABC News Australia reports South Australia’s Chief…
Virgin Australia Managing Director Paul Scurrah said today that about 1000 of the 8000 workers being stood down will be made redundant. The 1000 figure includes all 220 Tigerair pilots as the Group moves to a single pilot pool to fly for both airlines. Mr Scurrah told ABC News Australia that, “this is the worst…
Virgin Australia has written to Australia’s competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), to complain about allegedly anti-competitive comments made by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. Virgin MD Paul Scurrah wrote asking the ACCC “to investigate public commentary and an industry-wide campaign by Qantas that is designed to ensure a lessening of competition in…
Virgin Australia has posted a video on their Twitter of Cabin Supervisor Cassy making a final cabin announcement on a Virgin Australia service to Dunedin, New Zealand. In the emotional announcement Cassy says, “As crew we’ve called the skies our home for so long. It’s a little surreal knowing that we’ve come back down to…
Virgin Australia announced today that it would slash domestic capacity by 90% and completely ground it’s LCC Tigerair. The Tigerair grounding is effective immediately while Virgin’s capacity reduction comes into effect from midnight 27 March Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time and will apply until 14 June. 8000 of the Group’s staff will be stood down.…
The Australian Government today announced a $A715 million ($423.64 million, €385.34 million, £356 million) package to assist Australian airlines through the COVID-19 crisis. The package will see aviation excise, Airservices Australia charges on domestic operations, and domestic and regional aviation security charges waived by the government. As the fee exemptions are being backdated to 1…
The Virgin Australia Group has announced today that it will ground all international operations from March 30 until June 14. Domestic capacity will also be slashed by 50%. The cutbacks will see the equivilent of 53 aircraft grounded, including all 5 B777s, 1 A330 and 14 B737s on international routes. Domestically 20 B737s, 6 A320s,…
The Qantas Group has announced it is slashing international capacity by 90% and domestic capacity by 60% until the end of May. The cuts will be phased in from the end of this month with routes to be affected announced in the next several days. The move will see 150 aircraft grounded, including most of…
