Pilots attack move to let Finnair crew helm Qantas flights

Qantas’ pilot union has called the decision to let Finnair crew operate the Flying Kangaroo’s services to Singapore and Bangkok “bitterly disappointing”. Captain Tony Lucas, president of The Australian and International Pilots Association, said the decision illustrates a failure of fleet planning over the last five years. Qantas announced on Friday that codeshare partner Finnair would operate selected A330 flights from Sydney to the city-state from late October and all flights between Sydney and the Thai capital from March next year. “It beggars belief that Qantas is outsourcing the Spirit of Australia while simultaneously converting two of our own A330 passenger aircraft into freighters,” said Lucas. “Not only is it disappointing for our hardworking and dedicated pilots, but it is also disappointing for loyal Qantas passengers. Using the words of Qantas, stepping onto one of its aircraft is supposed to ‘feel like home’. Sadly, this won’t be the case for passengers on these flights. “Getting another carrier to operate our routes is also significantly more expensive than operating the services within Qantas. “This is a sad day for our great airline.” The deal will see Finnair’s own pilots and cabin crew operate Qantas-booked flights for the first two-and-a-half years of the agreement, but customers will receive the Flying Kangaroo’s own food and beverage service, amenities, inflight entertainment and baggage allowance. From late 2025, the aircraft will be fully ‘dry leased’ for up to three years, meaning Qantas pilots and cabin crew will switch to operating the services.<br/>