Episode 210: Good News, Everyone!

We've got some good news on the maintenance & engineering front so we figured it was too important to leave to later:TAE (a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand) are opening new workshops in Brisbane & Adelaide to work on turbine engines & APUsAlan Joyce has confirmed that, despite making a small underlying profit, the Qantas group will make a statutory loss when they make their annual report on August 23rd but that the previously announced job cuts (now totalling 2,800 people) will save AUS$300 million (apparently this is NOT retreating or cutting back???)A recent report from the University of Sydney has indicated that big is not necessarily beautiful for airlines as once an airline is beyond about 200 billion Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), the expected economies of scale are lost as the airline is too big to operate efficientlyQantas are trying to improve their bottom line by looking for a new way to avoid paying tax, specifically the Goods & Services Tax (GST)A couple in first class on an A380 delayed its departure from LAX while they & their baggage were unloaded from the aircraft after they refused to fly without their special size XL in-flight first class pyjamas that were out of stock on this particular flightThe RAAF's new Airbus KC-30A MRTT has made its debut in Exercise Pitch Black 12 refuelling F18s via the probe & drogue units as the boom is still not ready for operational useClive Palmer wants to upgrade the Sunshine Coast airport to be able to handle A380s & 747s to bring more foreign tourists in to enjoy his recently purchased resort, as well as an A380 dedicated to bringing people from around Australia to his proposed theme park developmentWith that, the boys decide it's time to activate their exit strategies and go enjoy a little bit of sunshine that's surprised everyone by appearing during Winter.