Add CategoryQANTAS’ chief pilot has issued a morale boosting message to his troops after a rough week for the airline, with four planes forced to turn around mid flight and another not even getting off the ground.
Captain Dick Tobiano sent out the message this morning thanking the crews involved in the events for their professionalism and skill.
He said feedback from customers had reinforced how well crews managed the different events.
“As professional pilots, we know that turnbacks are not uncommon in our industry,†said Capt Tobiano.
Emergency crews on standby as Qantas jet makes priority landing in Perth. Picture: Nine News Perth. Source: Twitter
“They reflect our culture of safety before schedule.
“Perhaps through a lack of understanding, aviation events are often sensationalised, and because of Qantas’ profile, events we’re involved in tend to receive far more publicity than other airlines.â€
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He told the crews they had his “full support for the decisions made in flight and on the groundâ€.
“The events this week are a great example of how our crews assessed and managed the situation based primarily on safety considerations and then with customer comfort in mind,†Capt Tobiano said.
Tough week ... Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the airline is still one of the world’s safest and most reliable. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: News Corp Australia
More than 1000 passengers were inconvenienced by the turn arounds caused by a range of issues including an air conditioning shutdown, strong fumes in the cabin and a technical fault that knocked out the toilets and in flight entertainment on the marathon Sydney-Dallas Fort Worth run.
All of the aircraft involved in the incidents have since returned to service.
Despite the dramas, Qantas shares have not lost any of the ground gained after Monday’s announcement the group would record a first half underlying profit in the range of $300 to $350 million.
The result is a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the Flying Kangaroo which finished 2013-14 a record $2.8 billion in the red.
The improvement in underlying profit represents a $550 million recovery.