Qantas axes Travolta video

Qantas is axing Hollywood actor John Travolta's safety video from flights in a move the pilots' union Wednesday claimed was linked to their industrial dispute with the Australian airline. In the pre-flight video, the Saturday Night Fever star -- a certified pilot and owns an ex-Qantas Boeing 707-138 airliner -- tells passengers "there is no one I'd rather have at the controls than a Qantas pilot". The Australian and International Pilots Association claims the airline is planning to replace pilots with outsourced and offshore alternatives and said the Travolta message was now considered inappropriate. "Admittedly, the John Travolta in-flight video had its fair share of detractors, but the one line I think everyone agreed with was that there is no one you would rather have at the controls than a Qantas pilot," said AIPA vice-president Richard Woodward. "In simpler times, this would be an uncontroversial remark, but with Alan Joyce now eager to outsource Qantas pilot jobs overseas, well, suddenly Travolta is out of step with the CEO." Some 1,700 long-haul pilots voted last month to take their first industrial action in 45 years following stalled contract negotiations -- holding out the possibility of a two-day strike as a last resort. Pilots on some flights made unauthorised in-flight announcements telling passengers about their dispute, and urging their support in "keeping Qantas pilots in Qantas aircraft". Qantas rejects the outsourcing claims and said the Travolta message was always intended to be a "temporary feature". "The change of video had absolutely nothing to do with the pilots' union," a spokesman said. "Contrary to their claims, all Qantas flights are operated by Qantas pilots. The union wants pilots for other Qantas Group airlines, like Jetstar, to be paid the same rates as Qantas pilots and we cannot agree to this." Qantas, which is also in dispute with its engineers about wages and conditions, says the pilot demands would drive up airfares, cost jobs and make the carrier unprofitable.