Qantas to operate evacuation flights from Lebanon via Cyprus to Sydney

[sudoer]

I read somewhere that one evacuation flight (QF?) had many spare seats.

SMH this morning possibly.

Australians in mass no-show for evacuation flight from Lebanon

The federal government estimates there are about 15,000 Australians in Lebanon. Some people have continued travelling there against DFAT advice.

www.smh.com.au

 

[leadman]

I've read a lot of comments here and mainly elsewhere about the 1/2 full flights, etc., and the line from To Kill a Mockingbird about being "in the other man's skin" doesn't miss the mark. Mrs Leadman is a Maronite Lebanese, and she has the nightly phone calls back home to the family in the north and its very sad. One family member is Australian and up there looking after his mum, dad, aunts and uncles, as amenities are failing (i.e. water supply, sewerage....). He just will not walk away from them; could you?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I read somewhere that one evacuation flight (QF?) had many spare seats.

Media is also reporting that some Australians continue travelling to Lebanon despite 'Smarttraveller' stating 'DO NOT TRAVEL'.

I am unsure how long the Australian taxpayer will tolerate this free shuttle service.

 

[Capricornus]

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.

If QF were to leave it to the “so called” big boys, the public this thread including would be up in arms waving “where is our national carrier?” and “National Carrier MIA” banners. Regardless of what QF does, QF can’t win, so the path chosen is rightly or wrongly to minimise bad publicity*.

*some earlier PR misstep’s notwithstanding

 

[justinbrett]

Couldn't agree more. QF clearly thinks it a PR stunt as QR is quietly also flying people back with no fanfare.,

Well turns out they were getting paid, so…

 

[downgraded]

Well turns out they were getting paid, so…

?

 

[justinbrett]

?

QR were operating the service for fee, not charity. Confirmed upthread.

 

[downgraded]

QR were operating the service for fee, not charity. Confirmed upthread.

Don't think anyone said anything to the contrary, just that they weren't making a fanfare out of it.

 

[p--and--t]

Don't think anyone said anything to the contrary, just that they weren't making a fanfare out of it.

They fulfilled a charter to/from destinations they normally fly and got paid for it.

What was there for them to claim a fanfare about?

 

[downgraded]

They fulfilled a charter to/from destinations they normally fly and got paid for it.

What was there for them to claim a fanfare about?

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

 

[p--and--t]

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

Staff donating time. QF donating flights when they are short of frames to places they don't normally fly, just maybe they had something to announce. Or maybe you just here to put them down for any reason you can drum up.

 

[justinbrett]

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

It wasn’t similar at all.

It’s actually quite unique - I’m not sure I recall the last time Qantas flew with ADF callsigns?

 

[Quickstatus]

Qantas flew with ADF callsigns

What call signs did they use. "Aussie"?