Australia’s national carrier Qantas has issued a formal apology and perks to millions of flyers as it seeks to regain public confidence following months of delays and operational blunders.
“On behalf of the national carrier, I want to apologise and assure you that we’re working hard to get back to our best,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement Sunday .
Joyce has been under intense scrutiny as the airline has suffered severe worker shortages, mass cancellations and delays of flights, and misdirected luggage.
Joyce also posted a video message to frequent flyers saying despite “good reasons” for the operational problems, including staff shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a tight labour market and extreme weather in eastern Australia, the disruptions are regretted.
The airline will issue AUD 50 vouchers for flights between Australia and New Zealand, the extension of frequent flyer bonuses, and the extension of frequent flyer rewards.
Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) national assistant secretary Nick McIntosh told Australian national broadcaster, ABC, on Monday: “Qantas needs a reset and that’s got to start at the top … we need to put an independent body in place that’s got the capacity to look at all the underlying issues in this industry.”
