Aircraft Maintenance.

Qantas Engineers are upset. The airline has an excellent safety record, and they say overseas maintenance standards aren't necessarily up to theirs. However, there are union jobs in the mix here too, so this is worth looking through. The Aussie aircraft community sometimes gets accused of being pedantic on matters of airworthiness and safety. If that's what it takes to keep aircraft from falling out of the sky, then, my view is 'so be it', Good and fastidious maintenance comes at a price, in terms of the skill of the maintainers, and the wider 'network' that they are part of.

So when I heard about this today, I looked a little further;

"...Licensed aircraft engineers began a legal process today to allow them to ground Qantas aircraft that have been sent offshore for maintenance...."
"...Qantas engineers have found that the aircraft have returned from overseas checks in a condition that does not meet Australian airworthiness standards and our members will be grounding the aircraft until they are properly checked..."

Qantas have been 'outsourcing' some maintenance work. To places like Singapore, who bid for the work and do it cheaper than Australian LAMEs (Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers). As I said, deep, fastidious maintenance and the skilled people who do it well don't come cheap. I have to admit that I have always felt comfortable and safe in Qantas aircraft - MOSTLY because of their maintenance and safety reputation. (I also feel better in a Boeing - but that's another story).
I do wish the Qantas LAMEs well, (remember the movie 'Rain Man' - "... The scene in the airport was cut by most airlines on their plane trips... except Qantas..").
More here and here.