Qantas to operate 2 evacuation flights from Lebanon via Cyprus to Sydney

[DejaBrew]

We seem to be drifting away from planes to politics again.........boring

IMHO, I think most people have been doing a very good job of treading cautiously with their posts in this thread given the inevitable connection with politics of the day.

I would also thank/acknowledge the Mods for doing a great job in letting respectful discussion in this thread flow within reason (whilst no doubt being ready to jump all over it if it gets too out of hand).

 

[jase05]

Just leave it to QR to ferry them here. Qantas pulling a few 787s out for days to run these will cause more issues impacting thousands.

Unless it’s super urgent, and local, if one doesn’t have the fleet to run such missions, leave it to the bigger boys. As it is, the QR flights have landed and gone back to the ME before the QF flight has even departed Cyprus.

Qatar have proven they can run these missions and have considerable experience doing so. I take my hat off to them.

VA is also offering free flights from SYD back to other Australian ports to assist those arriving on the two QR flights

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Just leave it to QR to ferry them here. Qantas pulling a few 787s out for days to run these will cause more issues impacting thousands.

But presumably the government will have to pay for Qatar operating repatriation flights? Whereas Qantas is offering these flights free of charge to the government (allegedly). I would also imagine that part of the challenge as I've mentioned before is securing the safe passage between Lebanon and the third country. No doubt it's going to cost the government considerable sums of money providing this first mile of travel to affected travellers.

Unless it’s super urgent, and local, if one doesn’t have the fleet to run such missions, leave it to the bigger boys. As it is, the QR flights have landed and gone back to the ME before the QF flight has even departed Cyprus.

Qatar may be better positioned to provide flights to Australia, but I could certainly see why Qantas offered help for the publicity and goodwill being generated by such missions.

Qatar have proven they can run these missions and have considerable experience doing so. I take my hat off to them.

Only time will tell on this one. Again, the dust has hardly settled at this point with emergency rescue efforts still ongoing. Let us hope that this whole mission is uneventful. But one must be sincerely concerned for those caught in harm's way.