12 MAY: Qantas has accused the Pilots Association of staging a media stunt over the airline’s use of a plane to promote the Wallabies rugby union team, the ABC reports today.
The broadcaster says the airline has confirmed that its special Wallabies plane, which is painted in green and gold and used to promote the team, is actually a New Zealand aircraft, registered in Auckland.
The plane is also flown by New Zealand pilots and staffed by New Zealand cabin crew.
It is being used to promote a ‘Great Crusade’ Wallabies supporters tour to the September/October Rugby World Cup in NZ. Qantas is a major Wallabies sponsor.
But Australian pilots say the aircraft is evidence that Qantas plans to outsource its operations overseas.
Australian and International Pilot’s Association spokesman Nathan Safe, who is also a Qantas long-haul pilot, says fans should be outraged.
"It’s exactly like putting Jonah Lomu (former All Black) in a Wallabies jersey and expecting the public not to notice," he said.
The pilots say almost all trans-Tasman Qantas flights are now crewed by New Zealanders who work for lower wages.
It is evidence, they say, that the airline wants to employ inexpensive foreigners from Asia as well.
"Where’s it going to end?" Mr Safe said. "We don’t know, so we need to act now to keep Australian jobs in Australia."
The association has sent a letter to Qantas management, threatening a strike ballot for May 19.
A Qantas spokesman told the ABC that highlighting the Wallabies plane was a media stunt by pilots set on damaging the Qantas brand.
He said Qantas cannot accept a "veto on change" by a union now threatening to strike.
