QANTAS confirmed yesterday (October 10) that it was forced to cancel 40 flights, delay 24 by up to 3,5 hours and bring forward 14 flights due to the planned four-hour strikes held in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
In a statement the airline said it was the second time this year that the union had planned a strike and then called it off at the last minute. It also comes after the Transport Workers Union cancelled a planned strike at the last minute on Friday.
“The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) has ruined the travel plans of more than 11,000 passengers with the cancellation of strikes coming too late for scheduled services to be reinstated.”
Qantas Group Executive Government and Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth, said the union was clearly intent on causing severe disruptions and making customers book with other airlines.
ALAEA will continue rolling one-hour stoppages, which will mean further disruptions at airports around Australia this week. The union is also continuing its ban on licensed aircraft engineers doing overtime, which creates a backlog of maintenance and a go-slow on day-to-day work.
ALAEA refused to attend conciliation talks before Fair Work Australia last Thursday.
Since unions commenced strike action six weeks ago 46,500 passengers have been affected on 348 cancelled or delayed flights.