AT QANTAS
A plan for the future of Australian aircraft maintenance engineeringMESSAGE FROM
THE ALLIANCE
Planning our future at Qantas
Nothing captures the imagination of travellers like aviation. The appeal of passenger aircraft is testament to the engineering behind their technology. And keeping this technology in the air are highly skilled maintenance engineers.
Over the years our national carrier Qantas has built up a reputation as an aviation industry leader, with engineers who are ranked alongside the world’s best.
Across the country, engineers work at some of the largest and most sophisticated technical facilities in the southern hemisphere. These locations are hives of activity around the clock. While most people are asleep, engineers perform quality checks and repairs to ensure the safety and performance of Qantas aircraft.
But it is a challenging industry in which to operate. Increased competition from Asia in the form of reduced labour costs make sub-contracting engineering work out to overseas competitors an attractive option for airlines looking to cut costs in the short-term.
Maintenance engineering in Australia is facing turbulent times, but with a commitment from Qantas to ensure our future viability we believe Qantas can establish itself as a centre of maintenance engineering excellence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Recent news that Qantas plans to review its heavy maintenance operations across Australia is of great concern to its highly-skilled engineers and maintenance workers.
Our Alliance represents the biggest three engineering unions in aviation – AWU, AMWU and ETU, representing aircraft maintenance engineers.
These jobs are vital for the long-term health of our industry. And that’s why we’re committed to working with our members and Qantas on a long-term plan to ensure future opportunities for the next generation of aircraft engineers.
Our three asks include guaranteeing heavy maintenance