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

[jrfsp]

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

by having surface to air counter measure systems......

Ability for medivac patients

Primarily by having crew trained to fly in hostile environments

 

[jase05]

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.

There was some talk yesterday that VA has a 737 in AUH currently for maintenance and they could use that to ferry some that had crossed the border into Jordan and fly them out of AMM.
Obviously that’s been knocked on the head or was never a serious option

 

[jb747]

by having surface to air counter measure systems......

Do they? I can’t see anything on the images I can find of them.

Primarily by having crew trained to fly in hostile environments

That would be more the role of the C17 and C130 people.

There was some talk yesterday that VA has a 737 in AUH currently for maintenance and they could use that to ferry some that had crossed the border into Jordan and fly them out of AMM.

Have you ever seen how many pieces aircraft end up in whilst in heavy maintenance?

 

[jrfsp]

Do they? I can’t see anything on the images I can find of them.

According to raaf KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport | Air Force

“It features advanced communication and navigation systems, and an electronic warfare self-protection system for shielding against threats from surface-to-air missiles”

 

[brokenagain]

Do they? I can’t see anything on the images I can find of them.

DIRCM - Directed Infra-red Countermeasures. Made up by many of the various lumps and bumps on the airframe.

 

[Harrison_133]

Have you ever seen how many pieces aircraft end up in whilst in heavy maintenance?

VH-YIE is nearing the end of its maintenance visit in Abu Dhabi. At the moment, it’s scheduled back to Australia this weekend, with another aircraft currently en-route to Abu Dhabi to swap into maintenance.

It’s entirely plausible it could be used if the Government needed it, but I doubt it will. As others have said, probably more political theatre so they can’t be accused of favouring Qantas given everything that’s happened over the last couple of months.

 

[Quickstatus]

by having surface to air counter measure systems......

Ability for medivac patients

Primarily by having crew trained to fly in hostile environments

Hmmm

Countermeasures? There would be bits sticking out of the fuselage. Maybe I'm not seeing the right photo.

Medivac? Not any more capability than a passenger A330.
A330 operating into hostile environments?. No
That is not the role of the RAAF A330 (which are tanker and passenger carrying). You want the Herc or GlobeM for that

 

[Must...Fly!]

In any case it would be good to understand the reasoning and rationale behind not involving the RAAF capabilities.

 

[OZDUCK]

Virgin and QR have offered to assist in these evacuation flights.

Virgin and partner Qatar Airways offer help for Aussie evacuation

Virgin Australia and partner airline Qatar Airways are exploring options to help the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to assist Australians seeking to safely leave Israel.

www.skynews.com.au

 

[justinbrett]

Hmmm

Countermeasures? There would be bits sticking out of the fuselage. Maybe I'm not seeing the right photo.

Medivac? Not any more capability than a passenger A330.
A330 operating into hostile environments?. No
That is not the role of the RAAF A330 (which are tanker and passenger carrying). You want the Herc or GlobeM for that

This is all mostly incorrect.

The capabilities of the aircraft - and importantly also the crew - mitigate operation of this aircraft in hostile territory. As a high value asset this is not the preferred environment, but it is essential to have these measures as risk can rarely be reduced to zero.

The RAAF train for this exact situation often, and the KC-30A rarely operates alone (it is equipped with Link 16).

I expect these Qantas flights will operate like fairly normal civilian flights using the airport infrastructure. If C130/C17 were used standard practice would require pax to only travel with what they could carry (no checked bags). Both types can only carry about 100 pax so would require many more flights.

 

[RooFlyer]

Leaked memo

 

[UP4014]

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).

It would be about the optics and nothing to do with the operation of a plane.

 

[RooFlyer]

It would be about the optics and nothing to do with the operation of a plane.

Probably, but given what has been written above about the VA plane in Abu Dhabi being operational (no doubt lacking cabin crew) and another one on its way, if things had become very hot in Israel very suddenly, then I reckon the VA birds would have come into the frame quite readily.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It would be about the optics and nothing to do with the operation of a plane.

I don't think it serves anyone's best interests to focus attention on anything other than the government getting the best results for citizens requiring evacuation.

Why didn't the government ask Rex or Bonza? The commercial realities of the industry are very different from the practical realities of humanitarian repatriation and I would think almost everyone would see the difference.

As for the QR angle - perhaps I will have to swallow humble pie but I cannot see how on earth a Qatar operated (even painted) aircraft is allowed in to Tel Aviv, let alone to fly back to Qatar. It's pretty much a non-starter. Qatar as a state hosts some of the political arms of Hamas.

 

[Lynda2475]

As for the QR angle - perhaps I will have to swallow humble pie but I cannot see how on earth a Qatar operated (even painted) aircraft is allowed in to Tel Aviv, let alone to fly back to Qatar. It's pretty much a non-starter. Qatar as a state hosts some of the political arms of Hamas.

They would have to fly from a neighbouring country and rely on people getting there via a land border. Likely their offer is for those escaping Palestinian territories not Israel.

 

[jase05]

They would have to fly from a neighbouring country and rely on people getting there via a land border. Likely their offer is for those escaping Palestinian territories not Israel.

There were and is still plenty of people apparently using the land border between Israel and Jordan. Perhaps QR can do a run from AMM although as stated I’m not sure how many Israeli’s would want to go to Qatar

 

[Lynda2475]

I’m not sure how many Israeli’s would want to go to Qatar

None I imagine per my earlier post, most won't ever fly via ME neighbour's, especially not one known to aid Hamas.

 

[Must...Fly!]

QF10 is delayed until 2200 tonight so I presume that aircraft will do a LHR-TLV-LHR rotation. This might mean the aircraft turns around on Saturday night in PER to return to LHR cancelling the QF10/QF9 domestic legs.

 

[UP4014]

Virgin and QR have offered to assist in these evacuation flights.

Virgin and partner Qatar Airways offer help for Aussie evacuation

Virgin Australia and partner airline Qatar Airways are exploring options to help the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to assist Australians seeking to safely leave Israel.

www.skynews.com.au

If you're a dual Australian Israeli citizen you possibly wouldn't have QR on the airlines you fly list. If you are a plain Jane or Joe tourist not interested in religion it probably doesn't matter to you what airline.

 

[exLXCXFF]

QF10 is delayed until 2200 tonight so I presume that aircraft will do a LHR-TLV-LHR rotation. This might mean the aircraft turns around on Saturday night in PER to return to LHR cancelling the QF10/QF9 domestic legs.

Yes, loaded now in FR24 also as ASY1168 departing London at 7am, arriving in Tel Aviv at 1330 local time. VH-ZNN operating the leg.

Interesting flight number using RAAF call sign.

I assume they would have a few pilots on board, probably very senior and experienced ones with RAAF background?