Scathing attack on Qantas

An article in the Adelaide Advertiser Premier Mike Rann is to pressure Qantas to schedule more international flights to Adelaide and in a scathing public attack, the Premier said he thought Qantas had not “done the right thing” by the state.

“The airline’s lack of support to SA is bitterly disappointing,” Mr Rann said.

“Overseas airlines have shown greater patriotism to SA than Qantas has.

“We have a new airport so Qantas is running out of alibis and excuses.”

Pointing out many Australians flew with Qantas because of patriotism, Mr Rann stressed “the right thing to do is a two-way deal”.

Mr Rann told The Advertiser he would seek an urgent meeting with incoming Qantas Chairman Leigh Clifford to lobby for more flights.

Mr Rann said he knew Mr Clifford, who was a “most reasonable chief executive” of mining giant Rio Tinto and came from SA’s Riverland.

Mr Clifford takes over the chairmanship on November 14 and Mr Rann said he would seek a meeting with him as soon as possible.

Mr Rann said SA hosted a range of major events such as the Adelaide Festival, the Masters Games, the Rugby Sevens, the Tour Down Under, the International Guitar Festival and other tourist attractions, which warranted increased services.

“Qantas wanted a new airport and that new airport has brought massive dividends to SA in terms of other international flights,” he said.

His move comes after complaints by SA Tourism Commission chief executive Andrew McEvoy. He said Qantas was “letting us down” by having only three international flights a week through Adelaide, while some overseas-based airlines had daily services.

Qantas has acknowledged it has no plans to increase from its three international flights a week.

SA regional manager Terry Simpson said the airline was “a significant contributor to the SA economy”. The company employs 670 people in the state through Qantas and Jetstar and has 550 domestic flights a week in and out of Adelaide.

“I am extraordinarily disappointed with Qantas,” Mr Rann said. “So many Australians travel on Qantas internationally because we feel it is the patriotic thing to do, the right thing to do. But the right thing to do is a two-way deal.”

Mr Rann said that in the past two years a world-class airport had been built in Adelaide, conceding Qantas had been rightly critical of the old airport.

“But that investment in the new airport had paid enormous dividends for international carriers, except for Qantas,” he said.

Mr Rann said there were 24 international flights from Adelaide compared with 13 weekly services in 2003.

“There are more overseas travellers coming to SA than ever before,” he said.

Mr Rann said that from this weekend, when Air New Zealand added new services, there would be 26 weekly services, increasing to 27 on November 10.

Mr Rann said out of all these services, only three involved Qantas and some of these were via Darwin.

“Qantas cut out its Auckland-Adelaide service saying it was not viable, yet Air New Zealand is increasing its services to six and is about to go to seven,” he said. “Qantas has basically ignored SA for international flights. Other airlines are putting more effort into marketing their services.”

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said: “I have met with Qantas and they have told me their focus is on outbound flights, We want airlines that deliver tourists to SA rather than milk SA by taking people out.”

Report by The Mole