Qan...Tas safe for now but future in island state remains uncertain

TASMANIAN’S tourism sector is under pressure to increase visitor numbers in a bid to stave off job and flight cuts by embattled Qantas.

TASMANIAN’S tourism sector is under pressure to increase visitor numbers in a bid to stave off job and flight cuts by embattled Qantas.

Tourism leaders say keeping up demand for flights in and out of the state is key to keeping the airline active in the state, after Qantas yesterday announced 5000 job losses and plans to cut costs by $2 billion, after posting a $252 million half-year loss.

The Qantas network controls about 70 per cent of all flights in and out of Tasmania, through Jetstar and Qantaslink services.

It also employs about 300 people in a local call centre.

While no Tasmanian job cuts or flight changes were announced yesterday, Qantas refused to rule out future cuts.

A spokeswoman told the Mercury: “You can’t rule anything out.”
“There are no immediate plans for any changes to the network in Tasmania.”

Tasmania’s Australian Services Union assistance branch secretary Igor Grattan called on the airline to “come clean” on its long-term plans for the state.

“They won’t give us any commitment at all, at this stage,” he said.

Mr Grattan said several Tasmanian-based Qantas call centre staff contacted him yesterday with concerns about their ongoing employment.

“They want to know whether they’ve got a job and how much more cuts are going to happen in Tasmania, how much more pain,” he said.

“I’d advise (Qantas) — don’t leave them scared, concerned or worried about their future.
“In short, come clean.”

Last month the airline slashed 35 ground crew jobs in Hobart, outsourcing the work to contractors.

NEW ERA FOR QANTAS AT COST OF 35 JOBS

It also announced plans to introduce smaller Boeing 717 jets on routes to Sydney and Melbourne, but boost the number of flights to these destinations.

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon said, as an island state, Tasmania was vulnerable to issues around access.

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon and Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief Luke Martin agree the industry has to make sure flights to the state are sustainable all year round.

“Everyone is worried about this announcement from Qantas today,” he said yesterday.

“The initial word from Qantas is there won’t be any changes to jobs in Tasmania.

``But we all know that we need to make sure that the Qantas flights to Tasmania are sustainable.”

Mr Bacon said he’d been briefed by Qantas state manager Steve Farquhar but would meet with him again in coming days for further clarification about the airline’s future operations in the state.
He said the tourism industry needed to work hard to boost visitor numbers year-round, particularly in the traditionally quiet winter months.

He said making sure that bookings for flights remained strong would reduce the chance for flights to be cut.

“The initial reports back from Qantas are the numbers are strong, that those flights are performing well,” Mr Bacon said.

“What we really need to do is make sure those flights to Tasmania are sustainable all year round.”

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin agreed.

He said the Qantas group was responsible for the vast majority of growth in the number of flights to Tasmania in recent years.

He said maintaining airline services in and out of the state was vital to plans to boost visitor numbers to 1.5 million annually by 2021.

“Qantas has turbo charged the tourism industry in Tasmania,” Mr Martin said.

“But we can just as quickly lose the air capacity we’ve gained and then (we’ve got) no chance of reaching that goal.

“Any changes to Qantas operations that effects services in the state would have massive ramifications.”

He said the sale of Jetstar to an overseas buyer would be “worst case scenario” for Tasmania, putting the state’s tourism sector at the behest of an international company.

Mr Martin said changes to flights in and out of Melbourne and Sydney — primary exit points for Tasmanian visitors — could also seriously impact the local industry.