Claims Aircraft Serviced In Singapore Failing Internal Audits

Citing safety fears, an Australian aircraft engineer's union is trying to get two Qantas Airlines 747s grounded because they were serviced overseas.

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) is awaiting word from the Industrial Relations Commission on permission to hold a secret ballot on the initiative.

"The aircraft are being maintained up in Singapore and when they were over there there were some pretty damning audit reports from Qantas' own internal department," said ALAEA federal secretary Steven Pervinas. "But also since they've come back there have been a number of defects surface on the aircraft.

"We would like the aircraft grounded and checked properly so further defects don't surface at 40,000 feet," Pervinas added.

Engineers have taken safety concerns to Qantas' management before, and Pervinas isn't pleased with the response he's received, according to ABC News Australia.

"They just pretty much say they don't agree with our assessment of the situation," he said. "Again it's some pretty warm and fuzzy [statement] such as 'we would never compromise safety', 'we only use top-tier service providers' -- we're not convinced that that's the case."

In July, the Australian reported engineers had discovered crudely stapled wires on the emergency floor-lighting system of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 that underwent a major maintenance check at Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SIAEC) last year, prompting a call for the carrier to end its offshore maintenance program.

Pervinas said the staples were found during a routine check and also found several of the emergency lighting weren't working.

"They found the problem was a couple staples had been put through that were no longer doing their job," Pervinas said.

"They thought, 'What the hell is going on here?', and they went down the track and found some more."  "Eventually (they) had to check the whole plane."

ALAEA says it is also using this action as part of enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations. Pervinas said the union is expecting all members to support the ban.

FMI: www.alaea.asn.au, www.qantas.com.au, www.siaec.com.sg