Qantas selects Airbus A350 to fly between Australia’s east coast cities to London and New York nonstop but still needs pilot agreement

Qantas and its pilots appear to be as far apart as Sydney and London on a deal to fly the aircraft that would operate nonstop between the cities. Qantas has selected the Airbus A350 to operate between Australia’s east coast cities to London and New York nonstop but needs a pilot agreement for longer duty time. The A350, which would also operate the Perth to London route and potentially Los Angeles to Perth, is a key part of Qantas’ international strategy, giving it an almost unique advantage over other airlines and enabling it to charge higher fares for those who want to avoid a stop at a big hub airport. The West Australian has obtained a confidential pilot memo to its members updating them on negotiations and there are major obstacles. The Australian International Pilots Association Long Haul EA team memo says that Qantas has developed and has begun to circulate a plan that meets its business case but while “the package itself contained several topics being actively considered by AIPA, it contained numerous items that we have said we cannot agree to”. The memo says “some of these we firmly believe would be completely unacceptable to pilots”.