Weekend news roundup

Qantas
Good news for Qantas and passengers with the ALAEA calling a four week truce with the airline over their protracted contract negotiations.  This prevented the hour long strike on friday, as well as similar ones planned for today and tomorrow.

"For comfort sake, you should also be aware that we do not intend to take action at any time in the next four weeks." ALAEA federal secretary Steve Purvinas

Read more on this from theaustralian.com.au's aviation writer Steve Creedy HERE

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Qantas are seeking compensation from the TWU after the federal court found they breached the law by engaging in industrial action.

But the union's federal secretary, Tony Sheldon, highlighted the court finding that, contrary to the Qantas claims, the meetings were not organised to cause damage.

Qantas have flagged they will seek more than $1million  in compensation.

Read more from theaustralian.com.au writers Steve Creedy & Ewin Hannan HERE
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Union officials have warned Qantas that any move to shift Qantas offshore will spark a backlash, after Qantas suggested setting up an Asian based branch of the airline.

Australian and International Pilots Association president Barry Jackson said reports that Qantas wanted to base much of the airline in Asia would set off alarm bells in the community.

 Read more from theaustralian.com.au's aviation writer Steve Creedy HERE


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Jetstar
Jetstar are not immune from potential industrial action either with the airline angering pilots and the AIPA, by employing new pilots under a shell company, in what the AIPA describes a s a move to get around the enterprise bargaining agreement.

Describing the move as "cynical and underhanded", the Australian and International Pilots Association said the decision to set up a new Jetstar Group contract was a sign the airline had declared war "on its pilots group, collective bargaining and the industrial relations system".

Read more from Steve Creedy of theaustralian.com.au HERE

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Virgin Australia
As mentioned in the post below, Virgin Australia have come to an agreement with Delta Airlines to take on the leases of their E170 aircraft.  As such the first two aircraft VH-ZHA and VH-ZHB have now left Australia on their delivery flights to the States.

The delivery flight's are taking the following track
CNS-SPN-KIX-PKC-ANC-GTF
Cairns-Saipan-Osaka-Yelizovo-Anchorage-Grand Falls
With VH-ZHA already in Grand Falls and VH-ZHB having recently arrived in Anchorage