What On Earth Is Happening With Qantas?

I just got this message below from Qantas as I am a member of their frequent flyer program. "I am pleased to advise that Qantas will resume A380 services, commencing with an initial A380 service to London via Singapore on Saturday 27 November. We have undertaken a rigorous inspection program in conjunction with Rolls Royce and Airbus to ensure the fleet is ready to return to service. We always put safety first, and we continue to take a conservative approach to the reintroduction of the A380 fleet. So we will initially operate the A380 between Australia and the United Kingdom. As more A380s come into service, we will assess when and how best to deploy them. I want to assure you that we have full confidence in our A380 aircraft fleet, and will not fly any individual aircraft unless we are completely sure that it is safe to do so. Qantas has six A380s in its fleet, and is scheduled to take delivery of two new A380s before the end of this year, and a further two next year. With our fleet of more than 250 aircraft, we are able to maintain a full international and domestic network, so you can book and fly with us with confidence. I want to thank you for your loyalty and patience. On behalf of all of us at Qantas we deeply regret any inconvenience. We look forward to welcoming you warmly when next you fly. ALAN JOYCE Qantas Chief Executive Officer"

Aah, yes the Virgin brand. I have yet to fly with them..but I will, one day.

Apparently, Qantas are sueing Rolls-Royce (who make the engines) for loss of business when some of their planes were grounded. I think this is a bit extreme as Rolls-Royce have co-operated fully with their investigations on the engine. They want to get to the bottom of it just as much as Qantas so to have a lawsuit on top of all that can't be very helpful. They are a reputable company though, so will pay up.

Wow, I never knew that about this engine. Good old Rolls-Royce, you gotta love 'em! Qantas are trying to blame Rolls-Royce for the design of the engine (saying it's flawed), which I think is a tad early in the investigation to do that. I mean, didn't Qantas have a say in what the design of the engine should be? Surely, Rolls-Royce liaised with others in their initial design? Someone from Qantas must have OK'd it at some stage? So many questions!

Qantas have never had a major accident so their safety record remains intact, although they've had a few close shaves recently. This particular plane was one of those huge, double-decker Airbuses and the Rolls-Royce engine is a new version, from what I can gather. Due to the fact other manufacturers can make engines for the Airbus it is imperative that this is dealt with as soon as possible because Rolls-Royce want to secure any further contracts. My Grandad used to work for them (in Barnoldswick or Glossop, I can't remember which) so he'd be mortified if he was still alive. Such good engines, usually, aren't they?

I agree. It's only a matter of time before there ARE casualties and I dread the day that comes (and I hope it doesn't of course) but Qantas shouldn't have this "we shall never crash" attitude. In my opinion, they should be thinking the opposite and not think about the profits for a change.