Bob Weekes

A Message To All Our Traffic Friends:

It is with sadness that I must bring you news of the passing of Bob Weekes.
After 96 years of minimal health issues, he was diagnosed with a spine tumor.
He spent just 5 days in hospital and passed away on Friday, 1st January 2021.

Bob started his airline career in the early 50’s when he joined British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA)
He was in their Traffic area, and they had a check-in counter near Qantas, in the Old Terminal.
It was a one flight a week operation out of Sydney, so their desk was mostly in the dark.
He was also a member of BCPA airport handling team based in Fiji.
That airline was taken over by Qantas in 1953.

As with many airline staff of his day, much of Bob’s career was in taking up positions around the network.
Bob was posted to Lae, New Guinea as Traffic Manager from 1957 through to the takeover by TAA of all New Guinea operations from Qantas in September 1960.
He was seconded to Malayan Airways along with Keith Hamilton to provide expertise setting up airport handling procedures.
{Malayan Airways was renamed Malaysia Airways when amalgamated with Singapore Airlines in 1963)
He took on the role of Qantas Manager Singapore, along with the Area Manager South East Asia, Doug Hilliger.
Bob was also Qantas Manager Far East Asian Area based in Tokyo from 1965 to 1969
He took on the posting of Qantas Traffic Manager, Darwin and was appointed Sydney Airport Manager in the early days of the ‘New Terminal’.
Bob also spent time as the Qantas Manager Air Crew Sydney Airport Administration.

I believe Bob spent most of his Qantas life in managerial positions and was well liked and highly respected by those he worked with.
He had an amazing capacity for names and detail of times long gone by.
Thank you, Bob for your memories and may you now Rest in Peace.