Is QANTAS still a safe airline?

[justinbrett]

But interviewees can decline to speak. It's voluntary.

But they did speak, and they confirmed Qantas has a positive safety culutre. The journo confirmed that:

Some have raised concern that cutbacks, new and less-experienced staff, outsourced jobs and COVID illness creating operational pressures, will impact Qantas's precious safety record. The good news is that the answer is it almost certainly will not.

"If they have a shortage of operational labour to run those flights — if cabin crew or pilots are sick for example — they will just cancel them," he believes. He is confident Qantas will continue to attract "the best pilots in the world". Qantas's renowned training program and strategies to select the most suitable pilot trainees remains strong.

Members can read into what was not said or whatever, but they don't know what they're talking about. Really nobody on this forum can audit Qantas's airworthiness without internal access to their reporting, procedures, training etc. CASA don't include ABC news articles during their audits.

 

[Melburnian1]

Members can read into what was not said or whatever, but they don't know what they're talking about. Really nobody on this forum can audit Qantas's airworthiness without internal access to their reporting, procedures, training etc. CASA don't include ABC news articles during their audits.

It's are for a mainstream (i.e. large) commercial airline in 2022 to be 'unsafe'. Industry overall has a good safety record.

But if employees (including flight crew) are upset or angry at management, it's hardly conducive to maintaining such a culture at the highest possible level.

QF as an organisation has clearly gone downhill. Again, unhelpful as cost cutting becomes the order of the day.

 

[jb747]

The QF safety culture existed in spite of the various managements. CEOs and their ilk can nibble away at the edges, and generally the culture itself is resilient enough to outlast them. I have my doubts about how much of that resilience is left though. Basically AJ and co can destroy the culture, but they can do nothing (nor do they think they need to) to build or repair it.

 

[RooFlyer]

But if employees (including flight crew) are upset or angry at management, it's hardly conducive to maintaining such a culture at the highest possible level.

Alan Joyce would agree with you. Remember the infamous fleet grounding in 2011? IIRC (fallible memory) the reason the airline gave for grounding ALL aircraft IMMEDIATELY was that pilots, faced with the anguish of having to fly with the knowledge that the airline was going to hit them, could not fly safely.

 

[jb747]

Alan Joyce would agree with you. Remember the infamous fleet grounding in 2011? IIRC (fallible memory) the reason the airline gave for grounding ALL aircraft IMMEDIATELY was that pilots, faced with the anguish of having to fly with the knowledge that the airline was going to hit them, could not fly safely.

As opposed to flying amid seething anger and resentment....

 

[Sprucegoose]

An interesting article that I found.

Qantas Named World's Safest Airline For 2023 - Airline Ratings

Qantas has been awarded the world’s safest airline for 2023 by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, product and COVID rating website.

www.airlineratings.com

 

[RooFlyer]

An interesting article that I found.

Qantas Named World's Safest Airline For 2023 - Airline Ratings

Qantas has been awarded the world’s safest airline for 2023 by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, product and COVID rating website.

www.airlineratings.com

Well, just . How can you declare an award for 2023 just 4 days into the year? I think its useful to consider who runs the web site.

And that in its justification of putting Qantas #1, it states:

In selecting Qantas as the world’s safest airline for 2023, AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 100-year operational history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline. *

The Australian airline has been a leader in the development of the Future Air Navigation System; the flight data recorder to monitor plane and later crew performance; automatic landings using the Global Navigation Satellite System as well as precision approaches around mountains in all weather using RNP. Qantas was the lead airline with real-time monitoring of its engines across its fleet using satellite communications, which has enabled the airline to detect problems before they become a major safety issue.

Last year the airline placed the largest order in its history for 12, 369-seat A350-1000s ultra-long-range jets, 20, 206-seat A321XLRs and 20, 120-seat A220s plus over 106 purchase right options spread amongst the different types to be supplied over 10 years.

So all bar the last one, these are years into the past#. And how does placing an order impact safety##? By the methodology they use, I would be awarded the "fittest 63yo for 2023"!!

# Super funds and other financial institutions have to add the disclaimer in any advertising "Past performance is no indication of future performance". Alas, the same goes for me, and airlines!

## Am I any safer in 2023 if I order a Volvo for 2025??

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Interesting too that they state QF is ‘now accepted’ as the industry’s most experienced airline. The note leads you to a finding by the British Advertising Board who decided in 2008 that qantas had indeed flown continuously since its foundation, and that KLM and Avianca had either had pauses in their flying or resulted from a merger (in the case of Avianca).

The ruling was before the total grounding of the Qantas fleet in 2011… which means that as of today they have no longer been ‘continuously flying’, and the 2008 ruling is not therefore ‘now’, or perhaps even relevant!

 

[Quickstatus]

The note leads you to a finding by the British Advertising Board who decided in 2008 that qantas had indeed flown continuously since its foundation

Resting on one's laurels can be a dangerous thing.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Well, just . How can you declare an award for 2023 just 4 days into the year? I think its useful to consider who runs the web site.

And that in its justification of putting Qantas #1, it states:



So all bar the last one, these are years into the past#. And how does placing an order impact safety##? By the methodology they use, I would be awarded the "fittest 63yo for 2023"!!

# Super funds and other financial institutions have to add the disclaimer in any advertising "Past performance is no indication of future performance". Alas, the same goes for me, and airlines!

## Am I any safer in 2023 if I order a Volvo for 2025??

If you want to win an award I was always told to host dinner!

 

[Melburnian1]

If you want to win award I was always told to host dinner!

Surely the vast majority of larger commercial airlines are 'safe'.

Differences may exist at the margins, and perhaps a few may not be quite as good, but how often do serious incidents involving passengers or crew losing their lives or being seriously injured occur? I exclude occasions such as an aircraft encountering severe turbulence as that's (allegedly) impossible to predict is it not?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Well, just . How can you declare an award for 2023 just 4 days into the year?

It's as easy as the 2014 Shiraz I'm drinking !

 

[Sprucegoose]

Surely the vast majority of larger commercial airlines are 'safe'.

Yes it's a connected world. It's not airlines that generally kill people.

I have no banned airlines

 

[Princess Fiona]

Interesting too that they state QF is ‘now accepted’ as the industry’s most experienced airline. The note leads you to a finding by the British Advertising Board who decided in 2008 that qantas had indeed flown continuously since its foundation, and that KLM and Avianca had either had pauses in their flying or resulted from a merger (in the case of Avianca).

The ruling was before the total grounding of the Qantas fleet in 2011… which means that as of today they have no longer been ‘continuously flying’, and the 2008 ruling is not therefore ‘now’, or perhaps even relevant!

QF Link was never grounded.
IIRC neither were JQ or Jet Connect.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QF Link was never grounded.
IIRC neither were JQ or Jet Connect.

True, but the case turned in minutiae… splitting hairs between KLM, Avianca and Qantas.

“Not only has Qantas been in full operation longer than any other airline in the world but the depth and breadth of our experience as a long-haul carrier backs this up," Mr Borghetti said.​

​

‘Full operation’ was one of the things that distinguished Qantas from say KLM, which continued to fly but on a reduced schedule and routes during World War II.

This is not having a go at Qantas, but rather the reporting, using a case that’s 12 years old and perhaps superseded by events.