Is it my imagination?

[Justchecking]

The contract with SQ was signed in 08 and lasts 5 years, by which time the Sydney base will be ready.

Are they still on schedule for that? One year to get a large scale maintenance base with suitably qualified individuals and a hangar built seems tight to me. Especially as the OOL lounge is taking that long....:shock: and lets face it sourcing a sandwhich press is hardly a complex logistical operation.

 

[markis10]

Are they still on schedule for that? One year to get a large scale maintenance base with suitably qualified individuals and a hangar built seems tight to me. Especially as the OOL lounge is taking that long....:shock: and lets face it sourcing a sandwhich press is hardly a complex logistical operation.

I am not sure, but they allowed for it to be ready by end of next year.

 

[oz_mark]

Are they still on schedule for that? One year to get a large scale maintenance base with suitably qualified individuals and a hangar built seems tight to me. Especially as the OOL lounge is taking that long....:shock: and lets face it sourcing a sandwhich press is hardly a complex logistical operation.

In the CEO's address at the AGM, the hangar was mentioned as coming online in 2014.

(and then there is a question of how that fits into the new Sydney Airport vision, which also talked about a Virgin hangar)

 

[Justchecking]

Why aren't we getting upset that VA are sending AC overseas for maintenance?

Because.....

Virgin's not a flag carrier, nor was it ever an all Australian airline. We are reminded of this everytime a certain rich Pom turns up to do something embarassing in front of a camera for publicity.
Virgin doesnt advertise their services with surf life saving kids, australian flags or children standing around in the outback singing the praises of Australianism.
Virgin didnt used to be the centre of airline excellence in maintenance by training and upskilling aviation enineers and performing heavy maintenance in Australia.
Virgin is sending their aircraft to a highly regarded and respectable airline skilled in maintaining its aircraft, so we feel satsified the job is being done correctly.
Virgin is still regarded as relatively minor player in aviation here and was never tied up with the national identity the way QF is. As a consequence they are excused for using cost effective measures because no-one expects them to be the backbone of aviation in Australia, maintain their own fleets or provide a career path for generations of Australians to come. The same way that no-one actually cares Rex is owned by Singaporeans.

In short, if you make money off the national psyche and have traditionally been a promotor of local talent, then a decision to do otherwise may come back to bite you. Brand-wise QF = Australian and to be anything else is to violate the very premise upon which you trade.

 

[Flying Fox]

Why aren't we getting upset that VA are sending AC overseas for maintenance?

I think its a classic case of double standards.

 

[markis10]

DJ sending their aircraft offshore is three year old news in the case of the 777s, and they have already signalled their intention to change that, so not much point getting upset!

Virgin Blue to Build New Maintenance Base in Sydney | Virgin Australia

 

[LiamR]

Why aren't we getting upset that VA are sending AC overseas for maintenance?

Because their EBAs aren't up for renewal right now!

 

[ajw373]

Because.....

Virgin's not a flag carrier, nor was it ever an all Australian airline. We are reminded of this everytime a certain rich Pom turns up to do something embarassing in front of a camera for publicity.
Virgin doesnt advertise their services with surf life saving kids, australian flags or children standing around in the outback singing the praises of Australianism.
Virgin didnt used to be the centre of airline excellence in maintenance by training and upskilling aviation enineers and performing heavy maintenance in Australia.
Virgin is sending their aircraft to a highly regarded and respectable airline skilled in maintaining its aircraft, so we feel satsified the job is being done correctly.
Virgin is still regarded as relatively minor player in aviation here and was never tied up with the national identity the way QF is. As a consequence they are excused for using cost effective measures because no-one expects them to be the backbone of aviation in Australia, maintain their own fleets or provide a career path for generations of Australians to come. The same way that no-one actually cares Rex is owned by Singaporeans.

In short, if you make money off the national psyche and have traditionally been a promotor of local talent, then a decision to do otherwise may come back to bite you. Brand-wise QF = Australian and to be anything else is to violate the very premise upon which you trade.

Well actually the real reason is Virgin is not in negotiations with a bunch of unionists who attempt to use this nationalistic tripe for their own benifit.

If we wanted facts to speak for themselves, then the simple fact is Qantas does most of their own maintenance. All that is done offshore are the A380's, which are new and small in number, so cannot justify their own dedicated maintenance base and overflow or ad-hoc maintenance. In recent years, as the fleet has grown and aged Qantas has brought A330 maintenance onshore and has always done 737 and 767 maintenance here. The 747's they did plan to offshore many years ago, but in the end moved them to Avalon.

Engine maintenance is one area where there has been a major change, but the change is more related to how they buy engines these days compare to old. In days gone buy the owned the things, so maintained the things, these days engines are brought by the operational hour but are owned by the engine maker, so are maintained by them or their agents. Hence why Qantas RR RB211 maintenance (747's and the 7 ZX series 767's) are done in Hong Kong.

 

[markis10]

Well actually the real reason is Virgin is not in negotiations with a bunch of unionists who attempt to use this nationalistic tripe for their own benifit.

If we wanted facts to speak for themselves, then the simple fact is Qantas does most of their own maintenance. All that is done offshore are the A380's, which are new and small in number, so cannot justify their own dedicated maintenance base and overflow or ad-hoc maintenance. In recent years, as the fleet has grown and aged Qantas has brought A330 maintenance onshore and has always done 737 and 767 maintenance here. The 747's they did plan to offshore many years ago, but in the end moved them to Avalon.

Engine maintenance is one area where there has been a major change, but the change is more related to how they buy engines these days compare to old. In days gone buy the owned the things, so maintained the things, these days engines are brought by the operational hour but are owned by the engine maker, so are maintained by them or their agents. Hence why Qantas RR RB211 maintenance (747's and the 7 ZX series 767's) are done in Hong Kong.

I love your inaccurate vitriol :

747s in china

OEH is currently in Xiamen for Maintenance

13/12/2011

VH-OEH

747-400

QF6021

Sydney

Xiamen

767s serviced in Singapore

26/11/2011

VH-OGN

767-300

QF6020

Singapore

Sydney

747s are also serviced in Singapore

12/09/2011

VH-OEE

747-400

QF6024

Singapore

Melbourne

Of course we are talking about heavy maintenance, not break fix operations, but overseas servicing of QF aircraft is real and happening, and its the big jobs! BTW OEG went to HKG for her maintenance in March prior to going to AVV for the refit!

Its also important to note that Haeco do the line maintenance:

http://www.haeco.com/company_update/renewals.html

Qantas Airways B747, B767, A330 - line maintenance services

 

[ajw373]

I love your inaccurate vitriol :

747s in china

OEH is currently in Xiamen for Maintenance

13/12/2011

VH-OEH

747-400

QF6021

Sydney

Xiamen

767s serviced in Singapore

26/11/2011

VH-OGN

767-300

QF6020

Singapore

Sydney

747s are also serviced in Singapore

12/09/2011

VH-OEE

747-400

QF6024

Singapore

Melbourne

Of course we are talking about heavy maintenance, not break fix operations, but overseas servicing of QF aircraft is real and happening, and its the big jobs! BTW OEG went to HKG for her maintenance in March prior to going to AVV for the refit!

Its also important to note that Haeco do the line maintenance:

Company Update - Contract Renewals

Qantas Airways B747, B767, A330 - line maintenance services

And you seemed to have missed where I said "does most of their own maintenance. All that is done offshore are the A380's, which are new and small in number, so cannot justify their own dedicated maintenance base and overflow or ad-hoc maintenance"

Note the bold words. In fact your list above goes to show how little of the entire fleet ends up O/S, where do you reckon the rest is done?

 

[markis10]

And you seemed to have missed where I said "does most of their own maintenance.

I did not miss your words, each month a 747 has a c or d check overseas on often a 767 as well, thats hardly just the A380s being done offshore. The fact OEG was serviced overseas immediately before going to AVV for the reconfig shows how badly things have become. The reason the 767s go offshore is that the A330s were bought back onshore in 2009 after being serviced by Lufthansa in MNL.

In fact your list above goes to show how little of the entire fleet ends up O/S, where do you reckon the rest is done?

Rather than being just A380s done overseas, its a case of C & D checks for the A380, 747 and 767! That is after all 65 out of 80 widebody aircraft :shock::shock:, my list was only those from the last few months, C & D checks happen once every few years for each aircraft so its hardly a daily event.

Given the odds of getting a QF widebody thats been serviced overseas are pretty high, some people have a right to be concerned:

Air France stops maintenance in China after screws missing from plane

 

[The Rok]

Is this what you were looking for, a repainted 777

 

[ajw373]

Is this what you were looking for, a repainted 777

That's not a repainted 777, all they have done is change the titles, the rest is still it's original livery.