QantasLink boss grilled by Senate committee over regional staff base closures
The QantasLink boss has been slammed by senators for shutting regional bases without producing numbers on costs or promised service improvements.
The QantasLink CEO has come under fire from a Senate committee over the airline’s decision to close regional staff bases in Canberra, Hobart, and Mildura.
The Senate Rural, Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee is holding an inquiry into the state of Australia’s aviation sector and its ability to deliver reliable and affordable services to rural, regional and remote communities.
QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan appeared before the committee on Friday, where she said the airline had made the decision with regret.
“We have 250 services a week going into Hobart, and actually, recently, we’ve added new services Hobart-Perth, Hobart-Canberra, and Hobart-Newcastle,” she said.
“This decision has no impact on the services.”
“We understand that the impact was and is significant for all 71 of our people, and we have worked really hard with them, with their unions and representatives to find arrangements that are supportive and individualised and personal as well.
“This decision wasn’t about cost savings or profitability; it was about setting us up for success as we go through this massive fleet transition as an airline, we have to have our crew based where the flying originates.”
But she ran into tough questions from Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie after not producing figures on the cost of the move or improvements to reliability the airline claimed it would deliver.
“There is no way who would have signed off on it without somebody putting some numbers in front of this,” Senator McKenzie said.
“How will your patterns change? What will it do to cancellations and delays? How much is it going to cost?
“You’re not running a milk bar. You’re running a highly complex aviation business.”
Transport Workers Union organiser Sam Lynch told the hearing the decision came with a high personal cost for Qantas staff.
“They have kids in school, they have wives and husbands with jobs, and at the drop of a hat and at the whim of a decision by QantasLink with very limited consultation, they are now having to totally uproot their lives and the disruptions to themselves and their families as a result of that,” he said.
Mr Lynch said a decision by the High Court of Australia that secured $210m over the illegal sacking of 1,800 workers underlined Qantas’ problematic record as an employer.
“The company that calls itself the Spirit of Australia is broken,” he said.
“If you speak to Qantas workers, or former Qantas workers, and they tell you that a couple of decades ago, this was a company that they were really proud to work for … that’s unfortunately, no longer the case.”
The committee is due to report in June next year.
More Coverage
Originally published as QantasLink boss grilled by Senate committee over regional staff base closures
Drug runner busted with ice in Cadbury wrapper gets sweet deal
