Union blames outsourcing for Qantas problems

Unions criticised the policy of outsourcing maintenance after Thursday's incident (Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty).

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The head of an Australian engineering union has made a direct link between the increase in incidents on Qantas planes and the increase in outsourcing of maintenance work.

Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), spoke after Thursday’s engine blowout on a Qantas A380 that had just departed Singapore.

“We know that the dramatic increase in the number of safety incidents involving Qantas jets coincides with an increase in the amount of [maintenance] work that is no longer carried out in-house,” he said in a statement.

In comments attributed to APP, he expanded further: “We have seen some pretty horrid results of maintenance from the overseas facilities – things that aren’t reported in the press.

“A bigger [incident] we have seen of late is, last year they had three engines on a 747 that weren’t bolted correctly to the wings and they flew ...

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“We have approached Qantas to try to resolve [such issues] amicably but what we are forever finding is we get nothing in return other than lip service and they continue to tell us they are the world’s safest airline while they ignore the concerns we have been raising."

Alan Joyce, chief executive officer, Qantas, responded robustly in a statement.

“It is clearly too soon to speculate on the cause of [Thusday’s] engine failure,” Joyce said.

“Regardless, Steve Purvinas continues to peddle prejudices and generalisations about aircraft maintenance and safety in the knowledge that his claims will more than likely go unchallenged.

“Mr Purvinas also continues to raise overseas aircraft maintenance as though this was something only Qantas was not allowed to pursue. The overwhelming majority of our aircraft maintenance is undertaken in Australia, and he knows this.

“We operate an international airline and aircraft that are manufactured overseas so it is inevitable some need to be serviced overseas and that has always been the case.

“The A380 involved in the Singapore incident recently underwent its first heavy maintenance check by Lufthansa Technik in Germany. Lufthansa is a leading international airline, a top tier engineering and maintenance provider and an operator of the A380 itself. Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines are overhauled at Rolls-Royce facilities.

“To suggest that Lufthansa and Rolls-Royce do not have the expertise and experience to undertake the highest quality aircraft and checks is ludicrous.

“All Mr Purvinas is interested in grabbing is a headline, regardless to the damage to the reputation of Qantas and its employees including members of his own union.”