Cobham Aviation Services wins $1.2bn QantasLink contract

Qantas’s regional operation, QantasLink, has awarded Cobham Aviation Services a 10-year contract worth $1.2 billion.

Cobham will manage QantasLink’s fleet of 20 Boeing 717 aircraft. Picture: Mike Burton

Qantas’s regional operation QantasLink has awarded Cobham Aviation Services a 10-year contract worth $1.2 billion to provide pilots, cabin crew, and maintenance support for the airline’s fleet of Boeing 717 aircraft.

The renewal of the $120m-a-year deal will see Cobham manage QantasLink’s fleet of 20 Boeing 717 aircraft, which carry about two million passengers a year to regional areas in Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Canberra.

QantasLink chief executive John Gissing said Cobham — which has worked with Qantas for the past 25 years — was a “proven performer” of the 717 in Australia.

“I’m pleased they will continue to provide safe operations and exceptional service to our customers in line with Qantas standards,” Mr Gissing said.

“Cobham has also shown a commitment to deliver further efficiencies that align with the Qantas Group’s Transformation program.”

As well as providing pilots and cabin crew, Cobham will also supply Qantas with line maintenance and engineering support in some locations for the 717.

QantasLink will continue to provide heavy maintenance and operational oversight for the aircraft.

Cobham — which has flown the 717s for QantasLink since 2005 — is the only third-party aviation company to operate under the Qantas brand.

The company is the nation’s biggest provider of contracted air services — flying more than 40 aircraft throughout Australasia and employing more than 1000 people — and has secured a slew of long-term contracts over a diverse base that includes border protection, airline services and resource company charters.

“The new contract demands the same ongoing determined focus on the highest level of safety and reliability for our operations while containing further continuous improvement targets around the efficiency of everything we do,” said Cobham Aviation Services CEO Peter Nottage.

“Qantas is a very important and long-term customer for Cobham and this is a significant contract extension, providing a valuable contribution and scale to our overall commercial passenger flying operations in Australia through 2026.”

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce recently said the airline was interested in buying out the leases of the popular 717s it currently operates as well as additional aircraft if they could find them in the market.