Qantas has cancelled 80 more domestic flights and more are expected as industrial action by unions continues.The cancellations affect flights between the eastern states and Perth and come because of the grounding of two more aircrafts.Qantas has grounded seven aircraft in total and cancelled around 500 flights over the next month affecting 60,000 passengers because of industrial action by the Transport Workers’ Union  and Australian Licenced Engineers Association.

More aircrafts are expected to be grounded with the airline citing maintenance backlogs, however Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce said there were no ’safety concerns as problems were addressed before planes fly.Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce said ALAEA’s said the aircrafts were grounded because of overtime bans and go-slow at work rules since September by ALAEA members.

The ongoing action from the licensed aircraft maintenance engineers’ union means we do not havethe manpower to fulfil all of the necessary maintenance on our fleet of aircraft,Mr Joyce said.ALAEA Steve Purvinas said Qantas was misleading the public by failing to disclose that the aircraft were grounded for disposal in April and both were advertised as for sale on an aviation website.Mr Purvinas said there were no further strikes planned and while there were some overtime limitations there was not a complete ban.

There are 5000 work hours they could call upon if they wanted more work carried out. They are not offering the overtime they say people won’t work. There is no go slow. Workers are carrying out their jobs as normal,’’ Mr Purvinas said.Meetings between Qantas executives and TWU continued today and will resume with ALAEA tomorrow and the pilots’ union on October 28.