Re: QANTAS to split International and Domestic operations from July
Heard on the radio this afternoon the interview with Neil Hansford whom is the head of Strategic Aviation Solutions and he made some very good points about the re-structure being more about possible future separate ASX listings of QFi and QFd as a workaround for the Qantas Act and getting possible foreign investors more interested. Solves a lot of problems that VA/DJ have also attempted to solve with their corporate restructuring.
I don't think its union busting myself (but can see how other people can) - as the groups workforces are still large, its more a case of setting your business up in a more tax effective/corporate & owership and legal sense. Implications for the exact legal enentities of Qantas flow through to labour, fuel, government approval of routes, future bases, carbon and other aviation specific taxes/charges and aircraft fleets. Don't forget the rumblings about government changes to accelerated depreciation come into the mix as well.
Its a capital intensive but also capital mobile business that can operate across multiple juristictions - not unlike another notorious industry that some like to demonize. Will be interesting to see if this corporate "pushing the envelope" raises any pushback from the government/unions or other competitors....