Qantas cuts capacity

[MarkR]

From AFR

“ Lucas Baird
Reporter
Mar 6, 2020 — 12.40pm


Qantas has announced another set of capacity cuts on its Asian services due to the coronavirus outbreak, while the Transport Workers Union pressures the airline over its duty of care to workers.
The cuts start Monday and include the cancellation of eight return flights between Sydney and Hong Kong; five return services between Sydney and Sapporo; and another five return flights between Melbourne and Auckland.
Brisbane-Tokyo (Narita), Melbourne-Tokyo (Narita) and Sydney-Osaka (Kansai) are also affected”

https://www.afr.com/companies/transp...0200306-p547g5

[James Smith]

The 3 weekly Sydney to Sapporo flights are ending early on 16 March, 2020 instead of 29 March, 2020.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38...ce-adjustment/

[Greg Hyde]

QANTAS GROUP UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

The Qantas Group has announced further cuts to its international flying, reducing capacity by almost a quarter for the next six months.

The latest cuts follow the spread of the Coronavirus into Europe and North America over the past fortnight, as well as its continued spread through Asia, which has resulted in a sudden and significant drop in forward travel demand.

These additional changes will bring the total international capacity reduction for Qantas and Jetstar from 5 per cent to 23 per cent versus the same time last year and extend these cuts until mid-September 2020.

The biggest reductions remain focussed on Asia (now down 31 per cent compared with the same period last year). Capacity reductions to the United States (down 19 per cent), the UK (down 17 per cent) and Trans-Tasman (down 10 per cent) will also be made in line with forward booking trends.

CHANGES TO SERVICES

Rather than exit routes altogether, Qantas will use smaller aircraft and reduce the frequency of flights to maintain overall connectivity.

This approach results in eight of the airline’s largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, grounded until mid-September. A further two A380s are undergoing scheduled heavy maintenance and cabin upgrades, leaving two of its A380s flying.

In response to strong customer demand for the direct Perth-London service, the existing Sydney-Singapore-London return service (QF1 and QF2) will be temporarily re-routed to become a Sydney-Perth-London service from 20 April.

The start of Qantas’ new Brisbane-Chicago route will be delayed from 15 April to mid-September.

Jetstar will make significant cuts to its international network, including suspending flights to Bangkok and reducing flights from Australia to Vietnam and Japan by almost half. Jetstar’s daily Gold Coast to Seoul flight was suspended last week.

(See table below for more detail of international network changes.)

Domestically, Qantas and Jetstar capacity reductions will be increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent[1] through to mid-September 2020, in line with broader economic conditions.

Full story

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/me...irus-response/

[Adrian B]

So the question is where do you park 8 X A380's? Blue Emu can take one or 2? Oh sorry that Boeing......

[MarkR]

Alice?

[Adrian B]

Originally Posted by MarkR

Alice?

Alice can land them but not sure the capacity given there are a heap of Max there now.

I would suggest the cheapest places possible so not the main centres.

My uneducated guess will be Richmond, Avalon, maybe Alice and some regional locations for smaller like Mildura. Dont forget Wellcamp as well.

Avalon would be a start for the A380's give the space available.

Maybe a good time to do all of those non critical but important maintenance works?

Just a thought....

[James Smith]

Hopefully, some aircraft will be sent and parked at the painters to be painted in the silver roo livery.

Air NZ has also advised that it is suspending all trans-tasman services (an 80% reduction) except for five routes being:

Auckland to Sydney: Reduced to seven return services per week
Auckland to Brisbane: Reduced to five return services per week
Auckland to Melbourne: Reduced to seven return services per week
Christchurch to Sydney: Reduced to two return services per week
Wellington to Sydney: Reduced to two return services per week

Source: Executive Traveller

They talk about aviation having boom and bust periods but this is the bust period to end them all. Hopefully, things pick up after the end of May with the coronavirus being contained following the government's measures.

[Chris Z]

Originally Posted by James Smith

Hopefully, some aircraft will be sent and parked at the painters to be painted in the silver roo livery.

I don’t think they will be spending money on paint jobs when they are trying to protect the business from collapsing or massive job losses.

[lloyd fox]

Originally Posted by Adrian B

Alice can land them but not sure the capacity given there are a heap of Max there now.

I would suggest the cheapest places possible so not the main centres.

My uneducated guess will be Richmond, Avalon, maybe Alice and some regional locations for smaller like Mildura. Dont forget Wellcamp as well.

Avalon would be a start for the A380's give the space available.

Maybe a good time to do all of those non critical but important maintenance works?

Just a thought....

BNE has many parking spots available and I suggest watch this space.I believe VH-EBK positioned up yesterday as QF6113.One of the reasons G20 went to BNE and also SYD Olympic aircraft also parked up here.Heaps of space and i have heard rumours the new runway may park some but i doubt it as it is due to open July.

[Robbie J]

So, if you're booked and have to travel, what's the best ways to stay as safe as possible?

And are airlines liable for passengers affected by Coronavirus on their flights?