Page 14 - STAT August 2022 for Magzter

specialreport

the Fair Work Commission to hold a vote to
strike over the ongoing disputes over pay
and conditions.
This could affect the operations of
Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane airports,
which are already under duress. In April,
Qantas and Jetstar have reportedly hired
more than 1,000 operational crew and
ground handling suppliers and are said to
have grown their workforces by 15 percent.
While Australian airlines were also
affected by weather, Covid, and other
illnesses among airline crew, the Austral-
ian Airports Association CEO James
Goodwin said that the aviation industry
had been finding it harder to attract staff
back to the airport owing to the 24-hour
nature of the work. Figures shared by the
Australian Bureau of Infrastructure and
Transport Research Economics revealed
that only 63 percent of Qantas, Virgin,
Jetstar, and Rex Airlines made it on time
in June while just 61.9 percent departed
when scheduled.
Around 5.8 percent of flights were can-
celled, thereby pegging this June with the
worst on-time performance figures since
November 2003, when the data began
to be recorded. The cancellation rate was
reportedly more than double the long-term
average figure of 2.1 percent.

Middle East
Incidentally, it was a problem of plenty for ways and utilising our extensive network of
some Middle Eastern carriers like Qatar road feeder services.”
Airways who were inundated with 20,000 Schürmann added, “We do not limit
job applications in response to a call for 900 If and where there this proactive approach to our scheduled
additional pilots, revealed Akbar Al Bakar, routes but also provide ad-hoc services
the Group CEO. are constraints, Etihad when required. We also have the option of
“I do realise that in other regions of the Cargo is proactively working re-routing shipments through Etihad’s ex-
world there is a shortage because people pansive passenger network across Europe,
got into the bad habit of working from towards solutions as enabling us to provide a reliable service
home and that has also given them the feel- for our customers and mitigate the risks of
ing that jobs are available where they can required, such as re-routing staff shortages.”
work remotely, so they don't need to go to flights through alternative While Africa’s airlines and airports did
an industry that needs hands-on people,” Al not see the same level of chaos as their
Baker told a publication. gateways and utilizing our European counterparts, their recovery and
Experts claim that many middle eastern extensive network of road sustainability are closely linked to the north-
countries offer a 4.5 to a 5-day week south traffic flows. Thus the effects of these
resulting in professionals having more feeder services. disruptions may be seen in the coming
room for a work-life balance and report- months as many airlines struggle to stay
ing higher work satisfaction. Thomas Schürmann afloat on the continent.
Etihad Cargo
Thomas Schürmann, Head of Cargo
Operations & Delivery, Etihad Cargo, told the straints and shortages. If and where there Asia
publication, “In terms of freighter cancella- are constraints, Etihad Cargo is proactively In Asia, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay
tions, Etihad Cargo has not cancelled any working towards solutions as required, such Pacific’s workforce had shrunk by 37 per-
services to or from Europe due to staff con- as rerouting flights through alternative gate- cent, and it had shed close to 5,900 jobs in
12 | AUGUST 2022 www.stattimes.com