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Qantas Airways Ltd., an airline known in Hollywood for its stellar safety record, is back in the spotlight after a series of mechanical failures.
The Australian airline has suffered a series of in-flight issues since the middle of last week, starting with a May Day alert and engine shutdown on a flight from Auckland to Sydney. At least four planes have turned around due to problems with wing flaps, warning lights or smoke in the cabin. All planes landed safely.
For an airline with an established and touted reputation for safety, the series of events is especially hurtful. Qantas has never had a fatal jet accident, a benchmark that entered popular culture when Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1988 film Rain Man insisted it was the only airline he would fly .
More than three decades later, a key question is whether Qantas has lost its safety edge, or just had bad luck over the past week, following repeated cost-cutting and job cuts by chief executive Alan Joyce good.
Either way, the latest problems have put Australia’s largest airline under renewed scrutiny, months after it appeared to have resolved a string of embarrassing flight cancellations, delays and lost luggage. Social media has again blamed the airline’s woes on Joyce, who has made a name for himself during his 14-year tenure at the helm for penetrating fat profits.
READ MORE: Late night egg attack shows passenger anger at Qantas CEO
These days, he has become a lightning rod for Internet vitriol, and cockpit warning lights or a smoking oven in the cabin could eventually reignite calls for his resignation.
“Every time this happens, there’s a cynical attitude from the client – ​​are they spending enough on maintenance?” said Natalie McKenna, a lecturer in strategic communications at Melbourne’s La Trobe University. “It’s definitely going to damage the reputation. I think customers are starting to turn away from Qantas.”
The Qantas group, which includes low-cost carrier Jetstar, makes an average of about 60 mid-air turnarounds a year, meaning it typically happens every six days. At least four times in the past five days.
The frequency of the turns has inevitably sparked criticism that Qantas’ planes are getting older. The airline’s domestic workhorse is Boeing’s 737, many of which are more than 20 years old. Qantas will update its Australian fleet over the next decade with jets built by Airbus SE.
READ MORE: Airbus win in Qantas deal deals blow to Boeing and Max
The unrelated nature of the events of the past week suggests there is no systemic problem with Qantas, according to Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of the Australian Institute of Licensed Aircraft Engineers. “It’s just a series of events that coincidentally came together,” he said. But the age of the fleet doesn’t help, he added.
“If the plane was a little bit newer, it would be preferable to everyone,” Purvinas said. “The older the part, the more likely it is to fail.”
Currently, the airline has the backing of Australia’s aviation regulator. In a statement, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said it “has confidence in the safety of Qantas’ operations and has full confidence in its safety management system.”
“Australia has one of the safest aviation industries in the world and travelers should have confidence when flying,” CASA said.
Investors were also overwhelmed. The stock is up nearly 10% this month, nearing its highest level in three years.
Speaking on local radio on Monday, Qantas domestic chief executive Andrew David said there was nothing wrong with the airline.
“Our pilots are trained to always play it safe,” David said. “In this case, I’m more worried about the airlines that don’t turn back than the airlines that turn back. When we look at our overall fleet health, we’re very, very, very happy that our fleet is in good, healthy status.”
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