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

This was a low blow from the AFR 🥲

A spokeswoman for Ms King did not answer questions about whether the flight would preclude Qatar Airways from running its regular service to Sydney, given the government’s refusal to grant Qatar Airways a second flight a day into four major airports.
 
Desperate times call for desperate actions - some Australians should be thankful to Qatar Airways (at least for once).
There is a certain irony that an airline owned by a government that is providing residence to (and supposed financial assistance) the leader of organisation that was responsible for the deliberate targetting of civilians, is now providing a flight home to those impacted by the violence/conflict.
 
An empty Airbus A380 is due to arrive in London on Tuesday evening to pick up the 241 Australians before stopping in Dubai to pick up more people.

VH-OQL operating SYD-SIN-LHR-DWC-SYD
1) I guess this was too short notice to sell a few tickets and all the related bureaucracy?

2) Theoretically, could they have flown directly SYD - LHR with the empty A380 as they did before but I think in the other direction?
 
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1) I guess this was too short notice to sell a few tickets and all the related bureaucracy?

2) Theoretically, could they have flown directly SYD - LHR with the empty A380 as they did before but I think in the other direction?
I wonder if it was to ensure that the crew could operate their normal rotation through both Singapore and London as it would seem strange to ferry a plane to Dubai via London.
 
There is a certain irony that an airline owned by a government that is providing residence to (and supposed financial assistance) the leader of organisation that was responsible for the deliberate targetting of civilians, is now providing a flight home to those impacted by the violence/conflict.

Yes it’s pretty bizarre circumstances, Qatar because they have been funding and harbouring terrorists are being urged to influence them at the same time to moderate their actions… Such a weird, sad world at the moment.
 
I wonder if it was to ensure that the crew could operate their normal rotation through both Singapore and London as it would seem strange to ferry a plane to Dubai via London.
Possibly crew related because for QF1/QF2 A380 the crew that work the LHR-SIN sectors are UK-based (and paid less than the Australian-based crew who operate SIN-SYD).
 
I wonder if it was to ensure that the crew could operate their normal rotation through both Singapore and London as it would seem strange to ferry a plane to Dubai via London.

They were picking up pax from the previous TLV-LHR flight first.
 
There is a certain irony that an airline owned by a government that is providing residence to (and supposed financial assistance) the leader of organisation that was responsible for the deliberate targetting of civilians, is now providing a flight home to those impacted by the violence/conflict.
Governments all over the world deal with their counterparties even if there are strong disagreements on some aspect of their relationship. The alternative does not bear thinking about.




How far could it go empty of freight if say departing SYD/MEL
?FRA
 
Were scheduled flights cancelled, didnt think there was a spare A380 hanging around?
 

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