SYD curfew must be lifted with QF strike

[Andrew Johnson]

With SYD being QF Central, there's no way VA using it's 777's for domestic services will make up for lack of QF services.

The curfew in SYD could be lifted + foreign airlines could again be required to fly domestic routes like in pilots dispute of late 80's, when we saw JAT DC10, Air Maritime 737, RAAF & other selling domestic airfares on behalf of existing domestic carriers.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busi...-1226171159273

[Greg McDonald]

And little green pigs fly south for winter too.....

[Kent Broadhead]

Temporary emergency measures will be needed if it really goes pear shaped. I expect that other capacity boosts will be tried before the curfew is temporarily lifted (if necessary)

[Rowan McKeever]

I'm sure, given J-Borg's comments earlier in the week (along the lines that now's a great time to be Virgin Australia), that Virgin are unlikely to miss a beat in making up for lost capacity.

[Shayne G]

The curfew in SYD could be lifted

Will never happen even in a situation like this. It has to be much more significant to even consider making exemptions for big jet flights during curfew.

[Andrew Johnson]

am suggesting a complete scrapping of curfew if QF closes up shop for any period. No way DJ can make up for QF closing down, even with VA 777's operating domestically, unless the public are willing to pay much higher fares.

Gee if DJ has to compete only with JQ (might be affected by QF strike) & TT, then they won't have to sell many cheap fares.

Plus, what on earth was the Sydney Noise tax we paid for years for the privilege of landing/taking off at SYD. Didn't it go to insulating homes around the airport from aircraft noise.

Crazy that busiest airport in Australia is closed for 7 hours everyday, buy really more hours as no airline wants to get close to 2300 on outbound flights, if a delay for any reason.

[Kent Broadhead]

Plus, what on earth was the Sydney Noise tax we paid for years for the privilege of landing/taking off at SYD. Didn't it go to insulating homes around the airport from aircraft noise.

True, it did. Also resulted in half of Sydenham being demolished.

Then Howard changed the flight paths, affecting a new and different group of people as well. My pretty much unaffected suburb (which I chose to get away from Stanmore, where the houses opposite were in the insulation boundary) became moderately affected.

[Rowan McKeever]

The SYD curfew certainly won't be lifted under this government and unlikely under any other. It just won't happen.

As I said before, J-Borg isn't going to miss a beat in filling any void left by QF... I'm sure noone thought QF/DJ could make up for AN before it happened. The global market might be very different now to 10 years ago, but I'm sure there're more contingencies up various sleeves than we will come up with on here.

[Shayne G]

There is nothing wrong with suggesting! but I do not see the curfew being lifted especially scrapped.

But we can be all optimistic..
1. Lets hope Qantas wetlease every BAE 146 aircraft in the world, convert all freighter ones back to PAX versions. Use these aircraft throughout the night to dodge curfew rules and clear the backlog.
2. At domestic terminal around 10pm at night, use every single gate for Qantas and have every flight get taxi clearance at 10:59pm or earlier that way they can depart after curfew.

.....nah, just kidding

[Nigel C]

Curfew is when airfield capital works and repairs get done. Last night Dom 1 (essential repairs), Dom 2 (some essential repairs and capital works) and Dom 3 (capital works) were closed to facilitate such works. It was one night when the main runway actually remained in its full length configuration, which is quite unusual these days for a weeknight.

Do you suggest the airport just puts all these (especially the essential works) on the back-burner?