Qantas proposes aircrew dismissals

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 9

Qantas proposes aircrew dismissals

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

SYDNEY, April 22.

Australia’s overseas airline, Qantas, announced today that it would dismiss 155 aircrew in November as part of an economy drive.

The airline said that the economy campaign meant that there would not be enough work available for them. It told 96 second officer pilots, 17 flight engineers and 42 cadet pilots at a meeting today of retrenchments. The redundancies have been determined according to seniority. In announcing its economy drive last week, Qantas said that it would retrench staff only “in the last resort.” The airline has also suspended promotional training, ftpzen ground staff recruitment and cancelled two intakes of stewards and hostesses.

It also said that it would cancel unprofitable services. The general manager, Captain Robert Ritchie, said:

“Reluctant as we are to take this decision, we must face the facts, as there is no alternative if Qantas is to avoid serious loss so as not to inhibit future expansion.

"We have been brought to the point where we will have to struggle hard to remain profitable in 1971-72.”

The economy drive will reduce the airline’s flying hours by 10,000 this year and 18,000 hours next year.

Captain Ritchie said that the 42 cadet pilots could continue their training to commercial licence standard during the next six months until they were retrenched. Qantas made a record $B.l million profit in 1969-70 but had a profit of only $4 million last year.

The cutbacks announced earlier this month include two of its nine-weekly Syd-ney-Singapore flights and its weekly Perth-Kuala LumpurHong Kong flight.

Plans for future routes through South America were also suspended.