The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has criticized Qantas’ decision to let the Finnair crew operate Qantas services between Sydney, Bangkok, and Singapore.
According to a report by Australian Aviation, Captain Tony Lucas, the President of AIPA, voiced his disappointment over the decision made by the national carrier to outsource Australian jobs. In a statement seen by Australian Aviation, Lucas said:
“Qantas’ decision to wet lease two Finnair aircraft is shocking, bitterly disappointing, and could have been avoided with more effective management decisions. It beggars’ belief that Qantas is outsourcing the Spirit of Australia while simultaneously converting two of our own A330 passenger aircraft into freighters.”
Lucas also added that “getting another carrier to operate our routes is also significantly more expensive than operating the services within Qantas.”
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Simple Flying reached out to the AIPA for a comment, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
Qantas and Finnair wet lease deal
The flag carrier of Australia made an announcement on May 19 regarding its plans to restore its capacity in alignment with the broader recovery of the aviation industry. As part of this plan, Qantas has opted to wet lease two Airbus A330s from the Finnish flag carrier.
The two wet-leased A330s will take charge of operations on two specific routes with the Finnish crew. Starting in late October 2023, the wet-leased aircraft will operate flights between Sydney and Singapore, and from late March 2024, it will exclusively serve all flights connecting Sydney and Bangkok.
Commenting on the new deal, the chief executive of Qantas, Alan Joyce, said:
“While airlines globally are working to restore capacity to meet demand, there is still a mismatch between supply and demand for international flying. But with more of our aircraft back in the air, new 787s joining our fleet, and our contract with Finnair, we’ve got more seats for our customers and more opportunity for Qantas crew as we increase our own flying.”
Following the wet lease agreement, Qantas will later enter into a new deal involving the dry lease of two Finnair A330s. These aircraft will be operated by Qantas pilots and cabin crew starting in late 2025, with the lease expected to last for up to three years.
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock
For Qantas customers traveling on flights between Sydney, Bangkok, and Singapore, this means they will have the opportunity to enjoy Finnair’s recently introduced premium economy and business class cabins, receiving Qantas’ inflight food and beverage service, amenities, inflight entertainment, and baggage allowance.
In the meantime, this agreement assists Finnair in maximizing the utilization of its A330 fleet. Currently, the deployment of these aircraft for Finnair’s long-haul operations is restricted due to the closure of Russian airspace.
What are your thoughts on the wet lease agreement between Qantas and Finnair? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sources: Australian Aviation