Pilots at Australia’s Qantas demand chair quit over scandals. Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) pilots’ union demanded the chairman’s resignation after a series of incidents that drew condemnation from travelers, regulators, legislators, and staff.
On Tuesday, the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), which represents majority of Qantas’ 3,000 pilots, wrote to new CEO Vanessa Hudson seeking Chairman Richard Goyder’s resignation, stating morale “has never been lower”.
“We have totally lost confidence in Goyder and his board,” stated AIPA President Captain Tony Lucas.
With Richard Goyder as chairman, how can Qantas reinvent its culture? Qantas referred Reuters to Goyder’s refusal to resign.
The airline’s 2018 chairman, Goyder, will not seek reelection at its November annual meeting.
Almost every stakeholder group has criticized the airline that sells three in five Australian domestic flights for adding pilots following a series of crises that forced its former CEO Alan Joyce to leave early.
Qantas has been accused of pressuring the federal government to block Qatar Airways from selling additional flights to Australia, sued for selling tickets on hundreds of cancelled flights, and found guilty of illegally firing 1,700 ground personnel in recent weeks.
That drew condemnation from lawmakers, unions, investors, and consumer organizations and overshadowed the flying kangaroo’s record yearly earnings last month.
“Qantas has a lot of work to do to repair the damage that has been done to its reputation, both in terms of workers and customers,” Australian Prime Minister Albanese told reporters regarding the pilot call for Goyder to quit. The AIPA did not specify a successor or what it would do if Goyder remained chairman.
On Monday, Qantas warned that rising oil prices were raising fuel expenses, causing analysts to lower earnings projections. On Tuesday morning, Qantas shares fell 1.3% to their lowest level in a year, while the wider market fell 0.5%. (.AXJO).
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