Qantas to move 717 heavy maintenance to Singapore

[moa999]

Delta has begun taking A220s so this may limit their future demand for 717s.
Volotea which has relatively late model 717s is also suggested as likely to move to 319s.

 

[samh004]

I'm still hopeful that QF will go the A220 route before their order books fill up too much. Don't get me wrong, I love flying the 717, but I realise they will eventually need to be replaced and they are ooooold.

It's a shame Boeing didn't retain their manufacturing jigs that were used to produce the 717 fearing that it would have an adverse affect on 737 sales.

Considering the A220 fiasco that they got embroiled in (when it was the Bombardier CS100/CS300), I wouldn't be surprised if they've looked over the old notes and re-started development on a sort of... 717-neo. Of course, they'd be very late to the market.

 

[juddles]

I'm sure that's an argument QF fans will want to roll out.

You do not have to be a "QF fan" to understand the changes.

People go to chain stores that sell nothing but overseas-sourced clothing and items, they buy food products owned by multinationals, etc etc etc. All of that stuff was sourced from overseas many many years ago.

But is seems to me a perverse hatred by some, that at the same time they are so diligent in highlighting what they perceive as QF faults, and ridiculing the notion of supporting Qantas as a national icon, they still manage at the same time to attack every decision made by QF that is something rational for a company that is not a national icon.

 

[moa999]

I always find it bizarre when Qantas flies a fleet of foreign made aircraft and fills them with foreign refined fuel.

Qantas will always be more Australian than foreign owned competitors but if it can't get it's cost structure right it will be like the Australian shipping industry

 

[Spongbob]

As far I understand it, VA does very little (if any) maintenance in Australia.

 

[Flying Fox]

I'm sure that's an argument QF fans will want to roll out. Seems QF can do no wrong? QF is making plenty of money. Did they need to cut staff now?

Yes those billion dollar profits no doubt have QF teetering on the precipice of financial ruin.... Wonder how much CEOs and Boards go for up in Asia??

I agree that QF are making good money today but they have lost plenty in previous years. Shareholders also want better returns on their investments. I think shareholders care more about returns than whether quality maintenance is done in AUS or o/seas.

In addition, airlines are a fickle business. All it takes is a hick-up like hike in fuel prices; bird flu; aircraft accident etc to send a healthy profit into the red for many years.

 

[pauly7]

As far I understand it, VA does very little (if any) maintenance in Australia.

Correct but they are about 93% foreign owned, with the largest chunk held by two Chinese companies. Also not being the flag carrier they don’t get the same level of scrutiny about all their OS outsourcing from maintenance as you mention to call centres. For both airlines it’s an efficiency driver, where they can save money and (hopefully) not compromise quality they will take it.

 

[docjames]

The 717 should have the range for DRW-SIN relatively comfortably and lightly loaded may even have PER-SIN possible (and certainly NW WA - SIN should be easily doable), so I don't see the need to rotate it in and out of SIN as a major barrier as if the cost of maintenance is reasonable that would more than cover the costs of the transfer to SIN.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Design range is 2,060 miles.

DRW-SIN is 2,075 miles.

So without any of the other data or weather info, I assume it has the range if flown without pax.

PER-SIN is 2,421 miles, so I think DRW will be the departure port given the all Y fleet operate through there.

 

[hm520]

Spirit of Australia huh?

It's the Australian way!!

 

[dajop]

Design range is 2,060 miles.

DRW-SIN is 2,075 miles.

The figures I saw (on airliners.net) suggested a design range of 2060 nautical miles which is 2370 miles, so should comfortably do DRW-SIN without pax.

 

[henrus]

AJ has said many times they’d snap up any extra 717’s they could get their hands on as they are working very well for what they need, in fact there is fierce global competition for them still. We also all know a well maintained older airframe is better than a poorly maintained new one, so as long as they are doing the job and running efficiently (comparative) then they will still ply our skies!

I blame it on not enough in the fleet and the way version was using them. Sounds strange but there simply wasn't enough of them in the fleet and they didn't have enough E-jet trained staff. Put simply when something went wrong with an E-jet it wasn't a simple switch to a 737 (and vice versa). Instead of focusing the E-jets on the regional routes (like they should have been), they were instead using them to replace a 737 on a BNE-SYD when the load wasn't high enough. Many operators including Air North (in Darwin) operate a successful E-jet fleet but that's because they've focused on the Embraer aircraft.

The figures I saw (on airliners.net) suggested a design range of 2060 nautical miles which is 2370 miles, so should comfortably do DRW-SIN without pax.

It's obviously easy enough to remove seats and fit a fuel tank like Hawaiian does everytime they need to get their 717's back to the mainland for heavy maintance.

Not saying Qantas will or should do this given they have the ability to make stops... but hey as a last resort it's certainly possible to make the 717's fly longer.

Ever wonder how they got short-haul jets like the Boeing 717 to Hawaii? Turns out they installed temporary fuel tanks where the seats normally were and flew them all the way from Long Beach : aviation

 

[moa999]

Think the WA 717 fleet also benefits from the 717s ability at hot airports.

Much like Canadian airlines who still operate the 737-200 thanks to its gravel kit abilities.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

They'll be getting rid of the quality booze in F next. Wait.

 

[jb747]

787s aren't efficient on shorter routes.

Who told you that?

But still not convinced on QF moving away from 737s

The 737 is an ancient airframe, which Boeing should have moved away from decades ago. The sooner QF bites the bullet and goes 321 NEO, the better.

 

[moa999]

Who told you that?

However, Joyce has previously told Australian Business Traveller that he no longer plans to put the Boeing 787 onto domestic routes.

"Our thinking has evolved... while the 787 as with the A330 are pretty powerful they are over-spec'd" for domestic flights, "so the economics do not work."

Instead, Qantas will revamp its domestic fleet from the mid-2020s with either the advanced Boeing 737 MAX or the Airbus A320neo and the yet-to-be-built mid-sized Boeing 797, which would also pick up some flights into south-east Asia.

From-
Qantas orders six more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

 

[Must...Fly!]

However, Joyce has previously told Australian Business Traveller that he no longer plans to put the Boeing 787 onto domestic routes.

"Our thinking has evolved... while the 787 as with the A330 are pretty powerful they are over-spec'd" for domestic flights, "so the economics do not work."

Instead, Qantas will revamp its domestic fleet from the mid-2020s with either the advanced Boeing 737 MAX or the Airbus A320neo and the yet-to-be-built mid-sized Boeing 797, which would also pick up some flights into south-east Asia.

From-
Qantas orders six more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

That does not necessarily mean they are not efficient as an aircraft.

It means that Qantas have a lot of A330s that need to be flying around...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

...for a company that is not a national icon.

All the advertising would have us believe otherwise... that they are the 'Spirit of Australia'.

Except when it comes to supporting Australians in terms of jobs, it seems.

 

[woodborer]

As far I understand it, VA does very little (if any) maintenance in Australia.

Some maintenance, but they never really had any heavy maintenance onshore, so the issue of moving it offshore never comes up

 

[theblank]

Qantas has been shifting maintenance offshore to Singapore (and either Philippines or HK?) for over 10 years. It would seem to be a gradual plan, obviously Joyce cant shut them all down at once, there would be a social media outrage.

wait, no there wont be any outrage, its only important stuff like not serving Tofu that people care about now.