Qantas fires 400 workers

Qantas has reported it will lay off about 400 workers at its heavy maintenance centersTullamarine in Melbourne, after reporting a 83% drop in profits during the last half of 2011.

As pointed out by the Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, some 660 workers at the base of Avalon are at risk of becoming unemployed. Qantas said the airline will decide how many jobs will be cut in mid-May, picks up the newspaper.

For his part, Speaker of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Mechanics (ALAEA, acronym in English), Paul Cousins​​, said an estimated 500 people will lose their jobs as a result of the consolidation of three maintenance facilities in two to in a single service center.

The review of maintenance centers conducted by the company determined that the division of Tullamarine was close to «a few months.» Furthermore, it was estimated thatAvalon was not viable beyond two years without major investments of the State Government, as recorded EP.

Qantas was 42 million Australian dollars (44 million) after the first semester of the lasthalf of 2011, down from $ 241 million (251 million euros or 190 million) earned in the same period previous year.

The airline attributed the decline to rising fuel prices and strikes the ground crew and mechanics who last year led to his decision to ground the entire fleet of corporate jets.