Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) has outlined its initial plans to streamline and reduce cost overheads for its QantasLink domestic operations. Among the planned changes include the concentration of Sunstate Airlines' fleet of thirty-one Dash 8-400s on Australia's east coast while retiring three of Eastern Australia Airlines' sixteen Dash 8-300s.
As it moves to rebuild the operation's network which includes 56 destinations scattered throughout Australia, QantasLink will close its Dash 8-400 pilot base in Perth International while its Cairns base will focus on Dash 8-400 operations exclusively. Its pair of Dash 8-300s will be ferried to Adelaide International which, with the departure of its sole Dash 8-400, will become an exclusive Dash 8-300 base.
"This is taking the 49 turboprops and really (doing) a bottom-up build," QantasLink chief executive John Gissing told The Australian.
As a result of the change from Dash 8-300 to -400 aircraft, flights from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Tamworth, and Wagga Wagga; from Cairns to Hamilton Island, Horn Island, Townsville, and Weipa; from Townsville to Mount Isa and Mackay; from Brisbane to Emerald and Newcastle Lake Macquarie; and from Mackay to Rockhampton, will all see an increase in capacity from March 29, 2015 onwards.
Qantas plans to use Cobham Aviation Services Australia - Airline Services's B717-200 fleet as well as Network Aviation's fleet of Fokker 100s to operate scheduled flights in Western Australia. The latter's Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was recently amended to allow it to operate Regular Public Transport (RPT) flights with its Fokker Aircraft fleet.
Overall, with four less aircraft, the unit is aiming to make a 3% cut in unit costs while increasing aircraft utilisation by 5%.
