STRIKES HIT 70,000 PASSENGERS

SYDNEY, 27 October 2011: Qantas has this morning published a new schedule and begun contacting up to 10,000 passengers who will be delayed by a strike tomorrow by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).

This brings the total number of passengers impacted by the industrial action to more than 70,000 from 129 cancelled flights and 387 delayed flights.

Qantas also yesterday grounded another Boeing 767 due to ongoing concerns about the reliability of the 767 fleet and has returned a Boeing 737 to service with the reliability of B737 fleet improving.

The number of aircraft grounded remains at seven – four Boeing 767s and three Boeing 737s – and the cancelled flights for the four week period remains unchanged at around 500. This is the direct result of the industrial action by the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA).

Qantas Group Executive Lyell Strambi said the Transport Workers’ Union, pilots’ union and licensed engineers’ union were continuing their coordinated and damaging campaign against Qantas.

“We apologise to customers who will be impacted by the industrial action by the TWU at airports around Australia,” Mr Strambi said.

“Our customers have been very loyal and understanding over the past few months however we appreciate that their patience is wearing thin.

‘We have made our best offer to the TWU however they have rejected this offer. Going on strike will only cause further disruptions to our passengers and won’t get us any closer to an agreement.”

Mr Strambi said despite the temporary suspension of industrial action by the ALAEA, Qantas’ fleet was being impacted by a loss of around 60,000 man hours of maintenance.

“While our Boeing 737 fleet health is improving, the health and reliability of the B767s continues to be affected by the cumulative effects of months of union action,” he said.

“The backlog of maintenance was caused by months and months of industrial action and doesn’t just disappear overnight because the union has suspended industrial action for a few weeks,” he said.

“Since August, the union has held more than 40 strikes including full day strikes at every heavy maintenance base around Australia, had overtime bans in place and had a strict work to rule in place.

“As the backlog of maintenance is being cleared and the reliability of our fleet improves we will work towards resuming our normal flying schedule.”