Qantas grounds 108 jets

Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet on Saturday, suddenly locking out striking workers after weeks of flight disruptions an executive said could close down the world’s 10th largest airline piece by piece. The Australian government called for an emergency arbitration hearing, which was adjourned early Sunday morning after hearing evidence from the unions and airline. It will resume on Sunday afternoon when the government will argue that the airline be ordered to fly in Australia’s economic interests. Planes in the air continued to their destinations, and at least one taxiing flight stopped on the runway, a flier said. Among the stranded passengers are 17 world leaders attending a Commonwealth summit in the western city of Perth. When the grounding was announced, 36 international and 28 domestic Australian flights were in the air, said a Qantas spokeswoman, who declined to be named citing company policy. Qantas said 108 aeroplanes were being grounded but did not say how many flights were involved. The spokeswoman could not confirm an Australian Broadcasting Corporation television report that 13,305 passengers were booked to fly Qantas international flights within 24 hours of the grounding. The lockout was expected to have little impact in the United States. Only about 1,000 people fly daily between the United States and Australia, said aviation consultant Michael Boyd. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. Qantas is “not a huge player here.” Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman Diana Sanchez said that she was not aware of any passengers stranded at the airport because of the strike. Five Los Angeles-bound Qantas flights were already in the air when the lockout began and were expected to arrive as scheduled, she said. Sanchez said Qantas has indicated it plans to cancel the handful of flights scheduled to depart from Los Angeles on Saturday. The real problems for travellers are more likely to be at far busier Qantas hubs in Singapore and London’s Heathrow Airport, says another aviation consultant, Robert Mann. Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas’ expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. All 108 aircraft in as many as 22 countries will be grounded until unions representing pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers reach agreements with Qantas over pay and conditions, Joyce said. “We are locking out until the unions withdraw their extreme claim and reach agreement with us,” Joyce said, referring to shutting staff out of their work stations. Staff will not be paid starting on Monday. This is a crisis for Qantas. If the action continues as the unions have promised, we will have no choice but to close down Qantas part by part,” he added. Richard Woodward, vice president of the pilot’s union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, accused Qantas of “holding a knife to the nation’s throat” and said Joyce had “gone mad.” Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of the mechanics’ union, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, described the grounding as “an extreme measure.” Long-haul, budget airline AirAsia tried stepping into the void with what it called “rescue fares” for Qantas passengers.