Australia’s Qantas looks set to axe its Sydney-Mumbai direct service after a run-in with the pilots union and the perplexing re-routing of the service through Melbourne.
The Australian newspaper reports that Friday’s flight was to be re-routed through Melbourne – which is further from Mumbai than Sydney – after the Australian and International Pilots Association refused to renew a concession that allows pilots to fly beyond hours outlined in their enterprise agreement.
The concession ended on December 31 and that means Qantas must now change crews in Melbourne before continuing on to Mumbai instead of flying non-stop from Sydney, Steve Creedy wrote in The Australian.
He cited an industry source saying the diversion would worsen losses on the route and “likely to be the final straw for the service”.
Under the current agreement, pilots receive less towards meals in Mumbai (which in hotels are generally considerably more expensive than in Australian restaurants) than cabin crew on the same flight.
The deadlock dates back to pilots’ rejection of a new enterprise agreement last year. The AIPA’s executive committee decided it would not grant a further concession beyond December 31 until the meal allowance issue was resolved. Qantas wants the issue included in broader EBA talks.
Qantas began operating the route using an A330-300 with a stopover in Darwin in 2004, but moved to a non-stop service using a smaller A330-200 in an attempt to stem losses
Qantas set to axe Mumbai service – report
