Joyce warns of "hard road ahead"

Joyce warns of "hard road ahead"
By admin


The popularity of Qantas boss Alan Joyce could take a tumble in the coming months as he signaled that more “hard decisions” lie on the horizon.

Speaking at the Tourism and Transport Forum’s Friends of Tourism event in Canberra yesterday, Joyce confirmed the airline will forge ahead with its “accelerated” transformation plan, with cost reductions of $2 billion targeted over a three year period.

“The decisions I have made have not been easy and they have not been popular with everyone,” Joyce admitted.

“There is no doubt that there will be more hard decisions for Qantas over the months to come. We will look at all the options and consider all steps to strengthen our business. Few of the decisions we make will be popular.”

But that “hard road ahead” is a necessary part of adapting to the globalisation of the aviation industry, he continued. He identified Asia Pacific as the world’s most competitive aviation region, and Australia as the “most open and competitive” market in that region.

The disparity in the rules that apply to Qantas and those that apply to its rivals makes it even more difficult to difficult to compete, according to Joyce who repeated his call for the government to restore balance to an “uneven playing field”.

While he underlined the repeal of the Qantas Sale Act as an “essential” part of this process, he acknowledged  “little political and community appetite” to change the act in the short term. Instead, he proposed other “appropriate solutions”, although he did not detail what these might be other than they did not amount to a “handout”.

“We have never asked for a handout and we are not asking for one now,” Joyce emphasised, adding he has been encouraged by the level of government engagement on the issue so far.

"We look forward to continuing our discussions, recognising the urgency of the challenges Qantas faces." 

 

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]