News: Qantas loses contract, child

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It’s more bad headlines for Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) today. It’s not only lost a contract with a third-party engineering company because of industrial action, but it’s also in hot water over losing a child at Melbourne airport on September 28 - the night of the storms that caused flight delays and mayhem for passengers.



Chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline has lost a maintenance contract and that its subsidiary Jetstar, would have aircraft maintenance done offshore as a result of the industrial action.



But Peter Somerville, general manager of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, told media Qantas is just after the cheapest rather than best maintenance.



Meanwhile a report in today’s Melbourne Age says airline staff lost an 11-year-old boy who was supposed to be in their care, as well as his paperwork. His mother found him wandering around the airport. The airline says losing him was down to “human error”.



Qantas reported a net profit of $249 million for the 2011 financial year.