American Airlines CE Doug Parker and seven major airline unions on Wednesday made a new push to win additional government assistance to keep nearly 20,000 workers on the payroll past Oct. 1. In a letter to congressional leaders, the White House and Treasury, Parker and the unions warned “nearly 20,000 American Airlines team members are facing furloughs in just two short weeks, and several markets in our domestic network are at risk of significant reductions in air service.” The letter implored the leaders “to find a way to work together to reach agreement on a COVID-19 relief bill that includes a clean extension” of payroll support. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not offer details on what actions the administration might take to help airlines. “The president has mentioned previously that he wanted to take a good look at airlines and help where he can. Of course, we need Congress in a lot of this,” she said. The letter added: “Our conversations with each of you suggest a deal is within reach, and there is no time to waste.”<br/>
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British Airways may never be the same again after the coronavirus pandemic, according to the airline’s CE, who told MPs the industry faced permanent structural change from the worst crisis in aviation history. Álex Cruz said: “People are afraid of travelling … and we are having weekly changes to the quarantine list. We are taking every measure possible to make sure we can actually make it through this winter. We don’t see a short-term coming-back of our passengers.” He added: “There is no data to support that this is a temporary effect for the airline situation … Things have changed. The airline industry is fundamentally different.” He defended job losses and pay cuts at the airline, telling the transport select committee that BA was still fighting for survival. It flew only 187,000 passengers last week compared with 1m during the same period in 2019, and was operating only 25-30% of its schedule. Questioned over the controversial treatment of BA staff Cruz said he deeply regretted “that way too many loyal and hardworking colleagues are having to leave the business”. But he criticised the “optimism” in MPs’ questions, which suggested that pilots and crew could have been retained or have pay restored. Cruz said the changes he was proposing were solely a consequence of the pandemic: “The job at hand is huge, it is structural, it is really long term.” Cruz, meanwhile, said BA was close to reaching agreements with trade unions across the airline that would end its “fire and rehire” threat to 30,000 remaining employees. Cruz said the process was ongoing but he forecast total job losses would be in the region of 10,000, rather than the maximum 13,000 the airline had proposed. <br/>
Qantas is considering relocating its 49,000m2 head office in a Sydney suburb as part of a three-month cost-saving review of the location of some of its key facilities. The carrier, which spends A$40m a year on renting office space, is also looking at options for Jetstar’s leased head office in the Collingwood suburb of Melbourne, to which it relocated from Sydney in 2004. “The Qantas Group is reviewing the location of its key facilities as part of its recovery plan and efforts to cut overheads – which may result in bringing together several facilities, currently spread across Australia, in one state,” the airline said Monday. While the review will focus on “non-aviation facilities”, some aviation facilities will be considered for possible relocation, it adds. These include flight simulator centres in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as Qantas’ heavy maintenance facilities in Brisbane – “particularly if there was an opportunity to bring some or all of these facilities together elsewhere in Australia”. Qantas says any relocations are likely to be staggered over time, “potentially years”, depending on what options it takes up. The review “flows” from already announced job losses, the “need for more efficiencies and setting the group up for the future”, Qantas says. It has no intention of moving any facilities overseas.<br/>
Travellers grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to experience the joy of flying, taking in some of Australia's iconic sights, on a scenic flight operated by Qantas. The 'Great Southern Land' flight on Saturday, October 10 will depart from Sydney and head up the New South Wales coast, cross the Queensland border to the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast before continuing north to the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef and features low-level fly-bys of landmarks. It will then head inland to the red centre taking in Uluru and Kata Tjuta before returning for a low-level circuit of Sydney Harbour and landing back at Sydney. The seven-hour flight accommodating 150 passengers is on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft usually reserved for international flying. The Dreamliner has the largest windows of any commercial aircraft. Qantas' Dreamliners are currently grounded due to the downturn in international travel. The plane use will be 'Emily', a 787 featuring Indigenous livery based on the 1991 painting of artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Yam Dreaming. The flights will cost $787 (get it?) for economy class, $1787 for premium economy or $3787 for business class. Qantas says a small number of business class seats will be available through the airline's frequent flyer scheme, for 250,000 points each. The scenic flight is the latest move by grounded carriers to generate revenue following COVID-19 pandemic including Singapore Airlines reportedly also planning "flights to nowhere" that will take off and land at the same airport.<br/>