pilot shortage, page-33

The B777 seems to provide enough capacity for oh, lets see, Virgin Australia, Delta, Emirates, Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Qatar Airlines, Etihad, Thai Airlines, China Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Korean Airlines, Royal Brunei, in fact, if they fly to Australia and they're a somewhat major carrier, chances are its in a B777.

As to whether or not they provide enough capacity.
A380 list price $375 million standard config 450pax in QF
B777 list price $284 million standard config typical 450 in 2 class or 365 in 3 class.

$375m x 13 airframes in Qantas = $4.875 billion

Qantas could have 20 B777 airframes flying a better frequency or to more marginal ports, like San Francisco which has been culled, or HKG-LHR which has been given away, due to their 30% operating cost advantage over 4 engine aircraft for slightly more money.

Qantas is only shrinking because the CEO and the board didn't exercise enough risk management in their purchase or untested, unbuilt, untried technology, the B787. I'm sure it will be great when it finally arrives, but the entire history or aircraft manufacturing has been one of delays on original EIS dates. Let alone the first ever fully composite aircraft.

Today Qantas international is supposedly bleeding cash because A) The economics of the last CEO flagship, the A380 don't stack up and B) Qantas is the only major still flying B747s into and out of Australia. 4 engines vs 2 engines. Simple maths really.

But lets blame the staff and their massively high salaries because tall poppy syndrome exists in this country and its easily exploitable to the sheeple in the media, even if the so called average rates of pay dished out in the media is a big fat lie.