Public no longer views Qantas as safe

As Qantas heads into negotiations with British Airways, new evidence has come to light that that many Australians no longer see the airline as safe, according to a report in The Australian.

Numerous flight delays and cancellations, two serious in-flight incidents and increased media attention on maintenance problems have left the travelling public concerned that the national carrier’s safety standards have declined.

A new UMR Research survey is showing that approximately two in three Australians view the airline as safe to fly, but 63 per cent say that the carrier’s safety standards have fallen in recent years.

The online survey polled 1,000 Australians between August and November, and reports that women, younger people and those residing in Victoria are the most concerned about safety at Qantas.

Ninety per cent of those surveyed feel that Qantas maintenance should be carried out domestically, rather than overseas. A concern was also uncovered related to the airline’s new joint venture with Malaysian Airlines for aircraft maintenance. Nearly 75 per cent of those responding to the survey feel that the quality of maintenance work done in Malaysia is inferior that that done in Australia.

www.qantas.com.au