Airlines

Qantas Group announces major jobs, training, and growth plans

Qantas Retains Top Spot as Most Punctual Major Domestic Airline

As it moves from recovery to growth, the Qantas Group expects to create over 8,500 new high-skill jobs in Australian aviation over the next decade.

These additional roles based around the country include pilots, engineers, cabin crew and airport staff, and are driven by investments in new aircraft and increased flying to meet long-term demand through Qantas, Jetstar, QantasLink and Qantas Freight.

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The Qantas Group will hire more than 30,000 frontline people over the next 10 years, accounting for regular attrition as well as growth. In total, the Group will have an estimated 32,000 people by 2033 compared with around 23,500 currently.

As it emerged from the pandemic, the Group updated its fleet plan with orders and purchase rights for up 299 narrowbody and 12 widebody aircraft for delivery over the next decade. The capabilities of these next-generation aircraft will reshape the Group and its network.

QANTAS GROUP ENGINEERING ACADEMY

The national carrier has today announced that it will establish the Qantas Group Engineering Academy in Australia, with capacity to train up to 300 engineers a year.

The Academy will provide aviation engineers for the Qantas Group as well as the broader aviation industry, including defense contractors and general aviation – two areas with high demand for these skills. A particular focus will be encouraging more women to consider a career as an aircraft engineer.

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Qantas will make a multi-million investment to establish the Engineering Academy, which is expected to open its doors to the first students in 2025. Entry-level classroom training for aviation engineering takes at least 12 months, with further on-the-job training required to move through various levels of accreditation. A fully licensed aviation engineer typically takes a minimum of five years of practical and classroom training.

A decision on location for the Academy will be made as part of the final design, expected to be determined by the end of 2023.

Qantas has launched an online registration form for people interested in positions at the Engineering Academy: www.qantas.com/engineeringacademy

To search jobs that are currently available click here.

TEN-YEAR RECRUITMENT NEED

The 8,500 new Australia-based operational positions the Qantas Group will create over the next decade include:

Cabin Crew	4,500
Pilots	1,600
Engineers	800
Other ops roles (e.g. airports)	1,600

Airlines

British Airways Unveils Two Groundbreaking Weather Apps for UK Operations

In an effort to better prepare for and lessen the impact of weather on any planned flight path, British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to launch two next-generation weather applications. These apps will give pilots and the flight planning teams access to real-time weather data.

At the moment, teams rely on manually created weather reports that are created early in the day. The new apps will enable pilots and flight planning teams to make more operationally effective decisions by allowing them to evaluate the effects of weather variations in real-time and better plan and adjust flight paths.

The first app will provide pilots of the airline with convenient access to weather information from The Weather Company, providing in-depth analysis of weather conditions along flight paths both prior to takeoff and during flight.

To further enhance its capabilities, future upgrades will make use of the onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to provide real-time in-flight weather updates. The app that will eventually work with the new technologies available to pilots to provide them with exact information on weather changes will also be accessible to the airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre, the operational hub that keeps the airline operating smoothly.

The technology, which is being implemented ahead of the busy summer season, has been built and set to precisely meet the requirements of british airways credit cards’ wide route network, offering benefits across both short- and long-haul operations. This large investment is a component of british airways amex ‘ £7 billion transformation initiative, which is still focused on expanding the airline’s use of modern technologies throughout its operations.

The airline replaced its paper-based system for engineering teams earlier this year with the new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system, which enables instantaneous data transfer from the aircraft to engineers in a matter of seconds. This allows for the pre-ordering of any necessary parts, speeding up the resolution of issues.

Airlines

IndiGo beats Southwest Airlines to Become world’s largest airline by market cap

India’s aviation giant, IndiGo, has soared to new heights, surpassing the renowned US-based Southwest Airlines to claim the title of the world’s third most valuable airline, as per Bloomberg data released on Wednesday.

The surge in IndiGo’s market capitalization, fueled by a remarkable 4.73% jump in its share price to Rs 3,806, catapulted its market value to $17.605 billion, edging past Southwest’s $17.333 billion market cap.

IndiGo’s strategic plans for expansion further solidify its position in the global aviation landscape. With intentions to add 10 new destinations to its network in the fiscal year 2025, the airline anticipates a substantial increase in capacity and passenger growth, aiming for a gross addition of over one aircraft per week during the same period.

Such ambitious endeavors, coupled with a burgeoning demand for travel attributed to tourism and a stable oil price environment, have contributed to the surge in IndiGo’s stock prices. Analysts at InterGlobe Securities attribute indigo partners airlines upward trajectory to several factors, including the operational challenges faced by competitor Vistara and the burgeoning appetite for travel among Indian households.

The rise in income has elevated air travel to a lifestyle staple, with leisure holidays becoming increasingly prevalent. indigo partners As the holiday season approaches, airports across the nation are bracing for heightened activity, promising sustained momentum for IndiGo in the months ahead.

Airlines

Air India Cabin Crew Voices Fabric Issues in new uniforms

Air India’s much-anticipated cabin crew uniforms, designed by renowned fashion icon Manish Malhotra and unveiled with ceremony last December, have encountered a setback.

The airline’s cabin crew, who initially donned the stylish attire on the carrier’s A350 aircraft, have voiced grievances regarding the quality of the fabric. Reports suggest that concerns have arisen over issues such as fast-fading colors, casting a shadow over the otherwise celebrated launch of the new uniforms.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding their debut, the practicality and durability of the fabric have come under scrutiny. In response to the feedback received from its cabin crew members, Air India is poised to address the fabric-related issues promptly. Sources indicate that the airline is gearing up to commence production for all cabin crew uniforms, ensuring that the concerns raised are duly taken into account.

An Air India spokesperson in a statement to PTI, confirming the forthcoming measures, stated that the production program for over 8,000 cabin crew members will kick off within a week’s time. The spokesperson reassured that steps are being taken to rectify the fabric issues and ensure that the new uniforms meet the expected standards of quality and durability.

The new uniform will subsequently be distributed to the crew, aligned with the transition of Air India’s flagship A350 to long-haul international service in the coming months,” the spokesperson added.