Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is leaving the airline two months before the scheduled date as controversy gathers around the airline.
Joyce has been hailed for steering the airline through the 2008 financial crisis, then the pandemic and the recent record oil prices.
But his legacy might be perceived differently by the Australian public. New accusations by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) of slot-hoarding by Qantas, and duping clients into booking flights it had already secretly cancelled, are leaving a bad taste in the mouths of Aussie consumers, especially when viewed against the recent record profits of US$1,6 billion (R30,7billion) announced in August. A lawsuit has been launched by ACCC.
Qantas has appealed against a ruling that it illegally outsourced thousands of jobs during the pandemic. It was also fighting a class action suit by consumers over its flight credit rules. The latter might, however, disappear in light of a new offer from Qantas that the credits customers have due to cancelled flights during COVID will have no expiry date.
Public anger in Australia is growing. According to theguardian.com, Joyce has said that recent attention on "events of the past" had made it clear that an early departure was "the best thing" he could do.
Chief Financial Officer Vanessa Hudson will become Qantas's first female boss when she takes the baton from Joyce on Wednesday.
