Qantas has continued its damage control after a tumultuous few months by issuing a series of apologies at the airline’s annual general meeting.
Both chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Vanessa Hudson acknowledged before shareholders the carrier had made a number of missteps in recent times.
Mr Goyder on Friday said the airline’s “post-COVID return to flying was a lot more challenging than expected” and conceded Qantas “had let customers down”.
Qantas has endured a turbulent period, fuelled by anger over flight credits and the High Court upholding a decision that the airline illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs.
The ACCC has also launched legal action against Qantas, alleging it engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by advertising flights already cancelled.
Mr Goyder, who announced last month he would retire at next year’s AGM, said he wanted to begin his speech to shareholders by “speaking plainly about the recent past”.
“It’s clear there’s been a substantial loss of trust in the national carrier and we understand why,” he said.
“There are things we got wrong, there are things we could’ve handled better, and should’ve handled better, things we should’ve fixed faster, and for all those things, we apologise.
“We also acknowledge the impact of the ACCC’s allegations and the High Court decision on the ground handling matter which landed within two weeks of each other.”
The AGM was to mark the official handover of the chief executive role from Alan Joyce to Vanessa Hudson, but he brought forward his retirement to early September.
Ms Hudson, who was elevated to the job after being chief financial officer, spoke of the conversations she had with customers, staff and shareholders since her promotion.
“Reflecting on what I’ve heard, the disappointment and the frustration is clear. As Richard said, there are many things, big and small, that we didn’t get right,” she said.
“And for that, we have sincerely apologised to our customers, our people and today I apologise to you, our shareholders.”
Ms Hudson said she was “determined to make Qantas one of the most trusted brands in the country again”.
“Determined to be the company that you, as owners, are proud of (but) delivers value for stakeholders and gets the balance right,” she added.
“Doing this won’t be easy and it will take time. But I’m confident we’ll succeed because of the incredible passion our people have for Qantas and what it has long represented.”
