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BA to lease 9 Qatar A320s + crews during strike

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BA to lease 9 Qatar A320s + crews during strike

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Old Jul 19, 2017, 6:56 am
  #391  
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Would it be correct in saying that it is not possible to 'wet lease' cabin crew from another airline to operate on BA aircraft? Does it have to be the whole package (Pilots, Aircraft, Cabin Crew)?

I remember many years ago of being on a wet lease (can't remember if BA or not) but the operating crew were from the operating airline with a cabin crew member from the leasing airline supervising service.

S
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 8:06 am
  #392  
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Originally Posted by Saltire74
Would it be correct in saying that it is not possible to 'wet lease' cabin crew from another airline to operate on BA aircraft? Does it have to be the whole package (Pilots, Aircraft, Cabin Crew)?

I remember many years ago of being on a wet lease (can't remember if BA or not) but the operating crew were from the operating airline with a cabin crew member from the leasing airline supervising service.

S
BALPA also asked this, with an eye on their upcoming dispute.
35. It is further contended that BA has provided no evidence of seeking alternative solutions to third country wet leasing, such as using cabin crew from other airlines (either from BA associated companies or other airlines). Whilst the CAA would encourage BA to think constructively in exploring alternatives to wet leasing, there is no such requirement within Article 13(3))(b)(i) of the Regulation and the European Commission Information Note (paragraph 18 of my letter of 30 June 2017 refers) is silent on this issue. We do not think this is a legal condition needed to be fulfilled by BA.
(Emphasis in original.)

Hiring in temporary staff to do jobs of striking workers may raise specific legal complications.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 8:11 am
  #393  
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Originally Posted by Calchas
... Hiring in temporary staff to do jobs of striking workers may raise specific legal complications.
Correct, and I suspect that is why such provision is not included in the Regulation.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 9:25 am
  #394  
 
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[Message Removed]

Last edited by Fontana; Jul 19, 2017 at 9:59 am
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 9:35 am
  #395  
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If they want to annoy BA they should leave a few days' gap to make it inconvenient for BA to fly the planes back to Qatar but expensive to continue leasing them and paying for the staff.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 10:04 am
  #396  
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Originally Posted by Calchas
Hiring in temporary staff to do jobs of striking workers may raise specific legal complications.
True, but there's more to it - BA has very specific SOPs, layouts and configs of aircraft, and can't just take other crew and dump them in their aircraft. Emergency equipment can vary in type and operation, right down to how the defibrillator works (as one very small example).

Where airlines take or provide dry or damp leases it tends to be on a longer-term basis, where it's worth the cost and effort of providing training on the 'new' aircraft. Two/four/six weeks and it's probably not worth it.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 10:33 am
  #397  
 
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Originally Posted by Calchas
If they want to annoy BA they should leave a few days' gap to make it inconvenient for BA to fly the planes back to Qatar but expensive to continue leasing them and paying for the staff.
Even with few days gap, BA will still keep the QR aircrafts at LHR instead of sending them back. A week possibly? That might work
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 10:40 am
  #398  
 
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Originally Posted by Fontana
Even with few days gap, BA will still keep the QR aircrafts at LHR instead of sending them back. A week possibly? That might work
BA mgmt. must have foreseen these moves & consequences. Their main motivation is to bring the unions to their knees. They would rather spend the money ( lease payments less striker's pay etc saved = expense) in the short term than pay "forever" , giving them another step to move upwards.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 11:15 am
  #399  
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Originally Posted by HMPS
BA mgmt. must have foreseen these moves & consequences. Their main motivation is to bring the unions to their knees. They would rather spend the money ( lease payments less striker's pay etc saved = expense) in the short term than pay "forever" , giving them another step to move upwards.
A very sad state of affairs.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 12:38 pm
  #400  
 
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Originally Posted by Calchas
After receiving advice from the CAA, the Secretary of State grants permission for BA to use QR aircraft between the 19th July and 1st August.

Permission to use the aircraft on the dates of 17th and 18th was refused. [During which no industrial action took place.]
The Secretary of State for Transport granted British Airways Plc approval to the use of these aircraft
between 19 July and 1 August 2017 only, concurring with advice from the CAA that no evidence has been
provided to demonstrate that the request to wet lease aircraft in the period 17 and 18 July met the grounds
of “exceptional needs”
[Source.]

Five private individuals and BALPA objected to the wetlease.



BALPA also raised this argument.
It is argued by BALPA that “exceptional needs” within Article 13(3)(b)(i) should be
interpreted narrowly and must be limited to an airline’s need for an aircraft, whereas BA’s
actual need is not for aircraft, but for cabin crew with which to operate such aircraft. The
CAA does not agree that the Regulation should be applied in this way. Article 13(3)
provides a mechanism to allow an EU carrier to substitute wet-leased capacity, namely a
“package” of aircraft, crew and associated support, when, for example, such “package”
elements of its own capacity are, for whatever, reason unavailable. It is also noted that
the approval to be obtained under Article 13(3) is for “the operation” which implicitly must
relate to the whole package, including crew in the case of a wet lease.
It is clear from the CAA response that the default position was to allow the application rather than any objective view.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 12:40 pm
  #401  
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Originally Posted by strichener
It is clear from the CAA response that the default position was to allow the application rather than any objective view.
That's because there was no basis in law to refuse the application.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 12:49 pm
  #402  
 
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Originally Posted by Tobias-UK
That's because there was no basis in law to refuse the application.
There were multiple basis on which to refuse the application, such as:

1. Lack of reciprocal agreements
2. Determination of exceptional circumstances
3. Adequate aircraft were available within the community, in fact right at BA's base.
4. The guidance to the regulation does not include industrial action in it's list of examples of exceptional circumstances.

That the CAA decided to disregard all of these points was not on legal interpretation but on opinion and they could have equally and legally decided that BA's application failed.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 1:04 pm
  #403  
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Originally Posted by strichener
There were multiple basis on which to refuse the application, such as:

1. Lack of reciprocal agreements
2. Determination of exceptional circumstances
3. Adequate aircraft were available within the community, in fact right at BA's base.
4. The guidance to the regulation does not include industrial action in it's list of examples of exceptional circumstances.

That the CAA decided to disregard all of these points was not on legal interpretation but on opinion and they could have equally and legally decided that BA's application failed.
A ruling like this (just like in a legal case) will always go one way or the other. This doesn't mean the ruling was not taken on an objective basis though which is what you're implying.

Last edited by KARFA; Jul 19, 2017 at 1:52 pm Reason: wrote your instead of you're
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 1:07 pm
  #404  
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Originally Posted by strichener
There were multiple basis on which to refuse the application, such as:

1. Lack of reciprocal agreements
2. Determination of exceptional circumstances
3. Adequate aircraft were available within the community, in fact right at BA's base.
4. The guidance to the regulation does not include industrial action in it's list of examples of exceptional circumstances.

That the CAA decided to disregard all of these points was not on legal interpretation but on opinion and they could have equally and legally decided that BA's application failed.
A lack of reciprocity is not a bar in itself, the Regulation uses the expression 'may' rather than 'must' refuse. The lack of available aircraft defeats that clause. As to your other points, well let's say they are wide of the mark. The decision is entirely consistent with the Regulation. There was no basis in law to refuse.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 1:09 pm
  #405  
 
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Originally Posted by KARFA
A ruling like this (just like in a legal case) will always go one way or the other. This doesn't mean the ruling was not taken on an objective basis though which is what your implying.
and from what I remember, the CAA's primary remit is for the consumer, so they will take the action that is best for the consumer.
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