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John Holland Aviation Services “winding back” Tullamarine maintenance facility

written by australianaviation.com.au | March 15, 2014

File image of Tiger Airways A320s parked outside the JHAS hangar at Melbourne Airport. (Mehdi Nazarinia)
File image of Tiger Airways A320s parked outside the JHAS hangar at Melbourne Airport. (Mehdi Nazarinia)

John Holland Aviation Services (JHAS) looks set to be shut down, with the company announcing on Friday that it is “winding back” operations at its Melbourne Tullamarine heavy maintenance base due to “current market conditions”.

John Holland Group managing sirector, Glenn Palin, said in a statement that: “After owning JHAS for seven years, we are focusing John Holland on our infrastructure, rail and specialist engineering capabilities.”

The company will now seek to sell the Tullamarine facility, the former Ansett heavy maintenance base, with Palin saying in the statement that: “A number of potential purchasers have previously expressed interest in various parts of our business.”

The company did not put a figure on the number of jobs that will be lost, but according to media reports the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union has estimated 230 jobs will go, comprising 150 at Tullamarine and others at Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, and that the Tullamarine facility will be closed by June.

Leighton Holdings-owned John Holland acquired the former Ansett Aviation Engineering Services in 2007 for $10 million. In 2013 JHAS lost major maintenance contracts for Jetstar (which moved more maintenance inhouse), Virgin Australia and Tigerair (which launched BAE System’s Australian civil aircraft maintenance business).

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Comments (3)

  • Cooper

    says:

    No surprise here.

    Throughout the industry John Holland was widely known as an uncooperative company with Engineers refusing to do any overtime leaving aircraft with unresolved defects and unable to fly. This caused chaos to many of the operaters networks.

    Hence why three major airlines all pulled their contacts with JHAS in 2013

  • TT

    says:

    As a 4 I/2 year employee of John Holland I find this story only partially true slight omissions just vary the story to make it sound better .
    Again they string you along as they did us , the story is not winding back .
    They have done this .
    its now closing up all outstations and Tullamarine all up for Tender by the end of June .

    From a busy company to virtual non existence at Managers discretion employees strung along with threats of redundancies in the last 4 and a half years .

    A management system of the construction industry does not nor will it ever work in aviation .

    Its a pity they have affected many good people and their families .

    Redundancies since the announcement last year of 40 heavy maintenance raced through the roof totalling much more .

    the amount announced Friday is the rest of the company Perth Brisbane Melbourne Sydney

    Lost Virgin , Jetstar , and Tiger contracts only few line contracts left and those are looking for a stable system that JHAS isnt

  • Soothsayer

    says:

    Thoughts and prayers for all of the hard working and professional staff at the tough end of a turbulent industry. Did they ever uncover who wrote the ode?

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