Qantas, Virgin, Qatar called to assist with Israel repatriation flights

[kpc]

I guess they had to ask Virgin as well....wonder which planes Virgin could use? Maybe they should ask Qatar instead...

Hamas-Israel conflict live updates: Australian woman Galit Carbone confirmed dead as fighting continues in Gaza Strip

Israel has called up 360,000 reservists as the fate of the estimated 150 hostages taken into Gaza remains unknown.

www.smh.com.au

 

[jakeseven7]

I guess they had to ask Virgin as well....wonder which planes Virgin could use?

A very long multi stop flight on a 737

In reality Qantas is well used to conducting long haul emergency operations for Australia and will be chosen if it’s deemed necessary.

 

[Must...Fly!]

A wild suggestion, but wouldn't the RAAF be best to assist here instead of commercial operators? At least to get people to DXB where something more conventional can be arranged for repatriation to Australia?

And frankly involving VA shows how out of touch and out of it's own depth the government is on aviation policy (if you needed further proof).

 

[RooFlyer]

A very long multi stop flight on a 737

In reality Qantas is well used to conducting long haul emergency operations for Australia and will be chosen if it’s deemed necessary.

Its not a competition, is it? If its an evacuation I think pax and government would be very happy for an offer of a VA B737 to DXB, AUH or DOH at least, should the airline have the capacity, which I dare say they don't. Don't have to mention the last time long haul emergency operations were undertaken, do we?

Wonder if QR will make a cheeky offer .

 

[Must...Fly!]

Wonder if QR will make a cheeky offer .

Thanks for the laugh.

 

[VeniVidiVici]

Perhaps the Qatari's could divert some of that cash they spend on Hamas to repat flights...

 

[eastwest101]

Will be interesting to see the effects on the other parts of the Qantas International B787-9 schedules, not much slack in the schedule for these already over-committed aircraft.

 

[jase05]

A very long multi stop flight on a 737

In reality Qantas is well used to conducting long haul emergency operations for Australia and will be chosen if it’s deemed necessary.

I was told yesterday by a QF official that QF and VA have only been asked to shuttle pax between TLV-LHR and not the long haul component of the trip.
Pax would get a free service to LHR and then need to find their own way home from there at own cost. It’s mainly about safety and getting them out of Israel to a safe haven ASAP.

 

[AIRwin]

 

[downgraded]

View attachment 349481

Interesting given this:

British Airways Suspends Tel Aviv Flights After Airbus A350 Flight To Nowhere

A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Israel diverted due to safety concerns.

simpleflying.com

 

[RooFlyer]

Perhaps the Qatari's could divert some of that cash they spend on Hamas to repat flights...

You may wish to have a look at this post:

Post in thread 'Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia'
Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia

 

[jrfsp]

Will QF operate these flights on A380s between downtime?

Seems very tight to fly LHR-TLV rtn between QF1 and QF2, particularly with QFs timekeeping, LHR curfew.

I think there will be service cuts to the scheduled services.

Agree with the above, surely the RAAF A330 would be ideally suited for this scenario, particularly when safety of commercial operators is in question.

 

[VeniVidiVici]

You may wish to have a look at this post:

Post in thread 'Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia'
Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia

Hamas leaders are also sheltered in Qatar

But anyway, not the thread for it

 

[tdimdad]

Why fly them to London? Why not any well-connected safe port closer to Israel? It'd allow for more cycles, i.e. more pax out of the country in a short timeframe. Both the three big ME ports and FCO would be only about 2/3 of the distance away.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Qantas don't really have the capacity for that, another reason that I ask why the RAAF aren't involved.

 

[Lynda2475]

Why not any well-connected safe port closer to Israel?

Jewish people as a rule don't fly into/via ME countries; not that all Aussies in Israel atm are Jewish but the vast majority would be.

London is the nearest safe port where QF have ground crew and aircraft; and a lot of options for people to come home safely via non-islamic countries.

I worked on a project once where main vendor was based in Tel-Aviv and whenever they would come to Australia for workshops they would fly a very long route to avoid stopping in any countries which were Islamic or Islamic sympathizers.

So they would often fly Israel - Switzerland - London/Western EU - SIN - SYD. Never stop anywhere in the ME or Indonesia or Malaysia.

 

[VPS]

I know there are a few regular posters on here that have family in Israel (and I won't name them) but best wishes to them and their families

 

[pauly7]

A very long multi stop flight on a 737

In reality Qantas is well used to conducting long haul emergency operations for Australia and will be chosen if it’s deemed necessary.

Yup and you were correct, hardly unsurprising though as Virgin aren’t equipped anymore for operations like this in that part of the world post administration.

I know there are a few regular posters on here that have family in Israel (and I won't name them) but best wishes to them and their families

Hear hear, adding mine.

 

[dajop]

And frankly involving VA shows how out of touch and out of it's own depth the government is on aviation policy (if you needed further proof).

Out of touch or just sensitive to the allegations they are too close to Qantas? It is just theatre to include VA, but probably politically necessary theatre.

 

[Quickstatus]

RAAF A330 would be ideally suited for this scenario, particularly when safety of commercial operators is in question.

How would a RAAF A330 be an safer than a non RAAF A330? A3X0?