Qantas, Perth Airport argue over Jo'burg flights

38 replies

rogerau

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 03 Apr 2018

Total posts 14

dm12

Member since 08 Feb 2018

Total posts 212

Perth airport returns to normal service...surely supporting new services and making them as effective as possible should be the goal. Growth in international services can only lead to the desire to move everything to T1 sooner. Their opposition to this makes no sense to me

Chris C.

Member since 24 Apr 2012

Total posts 1,116

Perth Airport strikes again!

The airport and its management has a history of dragging its heels and delaying aviation developments. Just to give a few examples:

1) Perth missed out on Emirates' A380s in 2013 because it didn't get its A380-compatible gates finished until late that year, and subsequently had to get its firefighting rating increased to allow for regular A380 flights. Brisbane Airport instead got its act together and the first Emirates A380s arrived in October 2013. Perth then had to wait until May 2015 for the same aircraft.

2) Construction of the new domestic pier now used by Virgin Australia was delayed for over a year. John Borghetti, Virgin Australia's CEO, was very vocal with the media about the delays, blaming Perth Airport, and shared that it was costing the airline tens of millions of dollars. The contractor responsible for building the new terminal sued Perth Airport for $41 million, claiming the delays were the airport's fault.

3) Qantas' Perth-London service almost didn't happen because Perth Airport lodged a similar argument over which terminal the flights could use, preferring that they use the current international terminal rather than the Qantas precinct, and the government had to get involved to sort it out.

StuParr

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 01 Mar 2012

Total posts 203

Perth Airport strikes again!

The airport and its management has a history of dragging its heels and delaying aviation developments. Just to give a few examples:

1) Perth missed out on Emirates' A380s in 2013 because it didn't get its A380-compatible gates finished until late that year, and subsequently had to get its firefighting rating increased to allow for regular A380 flights. Brisbane Airport instead got its act together and the first Emirates A380s arrived in October 2013. Perth then had to wait until May 2015 for the same aircraft.

2) Construction of the new domestic pier now used by Virgin Australia was delayed for over a year. John Borghetti, Virgin Australia's CEO, was very vocal with the media about the delays, blaming Perth Airport, and shared that it was costing the airline tens of millions of dollars. The contractor responsible for building the new terminal sued Perth Airport for $41 million, claiming the delays were the airport's fault.

3) Qantas' Perth-London service almost didn't happen because Perth Airport lodged a similar argument over which terminal the flights could use, preferring that they use the current international terminal rather than the Qantas precinct, and the government had to get involved to sort it out.

so much for caring about the customers....

GregXL

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 26 May 2014

Total posts 322

The West article claims the Perth Airport's issue is "allowing more international flights to operate from T3 undermines its ability to conclude an agreement with other airlines" (for the expansion of T1). How does what QF do at T3 as an interim arrangement have anything to do with other airlines, other than Perth Airport attempting to interfere with competition between QF and airlines that currently operate to Africa ?

Red Cee

Member since 15 Feb 2018

Total posts 151

Common sense tells you that all Qantas services should depart and arrive from the same terminal.

patrickk

Qantas

Member since 19 Apr 2012

Total posts 737

In addition the agreement with terminal 3 is to move to terminal 1 when a new Qantas wing is built some time before 2025. Not sure why Perth airport is in the pocket of SAA. There is only one Airline using terminal 3 for international flights so not sure how it is undermining terminal 1 operations. Maybe they are out to gouge more fees.

maabbot

Member since 06 Feb 2014

Total posts 10

What a non sense Perth airport. Qantas desire for seamless transfers is exactly why a central T1 precinct is needed. When Qantas was allowed to operate from T3 a condition that was quoted on the press is they would support relocation to T1 when their current lease expired. Allowing them to operate from t3 is a reaaonsable interim measiire

PERflyer

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 15 Aug 2017

Total posts 47

This is quite a strange occurrence. What was Perth airport expecting Qantas to do? Their Singapore, London & Auckland departs from their new international wing at T3 why the hell would they then put JNB over at T1!!? Not sure of Perth airports point on this. Build your T1 extension then get ALL of Qantas over that side.

Last editedby PERflyer at Apr 24, 2018, 08:27 PM.

afloskar

Member since 10 Aug 2015

Total posts 156

I don't know why Perth Airport is doing this. They are actively looking for more international flights and these QF ones to JNB are at risk because of their stubbornness.

mitchimus

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 23 Mar 2012

Total posts 67

Good old Perth Airport, showing once again why people call our state Wait Awhile. Just when Perth Airport was catching up after years of neglect they pull this sort of rubbish from last century.

Last editedby mitchimus at Apr 25, 2018, 01:02 PM.

alex_upgrade77

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 08 Sep 2012

Total posts 47

This is quite a strange occurrence. What was Perth airport expecting Qantas to do? Their Singapore, London & Auckland departs from their new international wing at T3 why the hell would they then put JNB over at T1!!? Not sure of Perth airports point on this. Build your T1 extension then get ALL of Qantas over that side.
Last edited by PERflyer at Apr 24, 2018, 08.27 PM.

I've never been to Perth. But perhaps the reason has something to do with retail. Is Qantas' focus on T3 taking away retail foot traffic at T1? Perhaps retailers at T1 are complaining to airport management that sales are dropping. Airports have become huge malls these days. Food for thought.

ThePerthTrav

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 18 Dec 2016

Total posts 20

Perth Airport will be the downfall of tourism in Perth, not just whatever Barrnett’s government did. They need to be lead by people who actually get things done.

brinkers

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 16 Jun 2011

Total posts 233

This is quite a strange occurrence. What was Perth airport expecting Qantas to do? Their Singapore, London & Auckland departs from their new international wing at T3 why the hell would they then put JNB over at T1!!? Not sure of Perth airports point on this. Build your T1 extension then get ALL of Qantas over that side.
Last edited by PERflyer at Apr 24, 2018, 08.27 PM.

I've never been to Perth. But perhaps the reason has something to do with retail. Is Qantas' focus on T3 taking away retail foot traffic at T1? Perhaps retailers at T1 are complaining to airport management that sales are dropping. Airports have become huge malls these days. Food for thought.

The impact on retail foot traffic in T1 would be negligible, as there were very few Qantas flights anyway. Whatever the details, this will be about the bigger play of consolidating all operations (international and domestic) around T1.
I doubt Qantas will go across without a fight...

Poisson

QFF

Member since 06 Nov 2012

Total posts 21

The problem for Perth Airport - and the taxpayer - is that establishing an international service from T3/T4 has required the duplication of a whole swag of international gateway tasks including customs, quarantine, security etc. Border Force had to recruit additional staff (about 60, so I'm told by somebody who works there), and so it goes. Perth Airport has always operated on the basis that all international flights operate from Terminal 1 so that there is an economy of scale for all those international tasks.


Having virtually ignored Perth for a decade and giving all their Perth-based passengers to Emirates, Qantas decide to come back and expect to call all the shots. Allowing them to operate internationally from T3 (and increase the number of services through that terminal) will threaten the viability of proposed extensions to T1. Qantas will quite happily settle in the T3/T4 forever and we the taxpayer will continue to subsidise the consequent inefficiencies imposed on the airport.
 

Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qantas, Perth Airport argue over Jo'burg flights

Attach Files