Qantas was 11 weeks from collapse during pandemic, chief executive Alan Joyce says

The airline cut more than 8,000 jobs after the onset of Covid-19 as it moved to reduce costs

Qantas aircraft on the tarmac at Melbourne International Airport. The airline struggled financially during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. AFP

Qantas Airways came within 11 weeks of financial collapse at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when travel came to a standstill and the airline continued to haemorrhage cash, chief executive Alan Joyce has said.

Speaking in Sydney on Monday, Mr Joyce said that in early 2020 he was receiving weekly reports from his finance team that made it clear how long the airline’s reserves would last.

Qantas’ minimum life expectancy gradually lengthened to two years after it raised capital, sold land and brought expenses under control, he said. Rival Virgin Australia collapsed at the same time.

Mr Joyce’s disclosure in some ways counters criticism that he cut costs — including more than 8,000 workers — too aggressively after the onset of Covid-19, leaving the airline struggling to cope when demand eventually rebounded.

With a shrunken workforce, Qantas has this year been plagued by flight cancellations, lost bags and delays.

Senior executives were asked to help out with baggage handling for three months to support airport operations.

“People forget how low everything was back in March, April, May, June 2020,” Mr Joyce said. “There was no vaccine. There was no hope that it could be as effective as it was. We had to stare into this 11 weeks of survival.”

Qantas has now built in buffers to help service levels return to normal. There are 20 aircraft set aside and ready to be put to use at any time should operational problems arise, he said.

Willie Walsh, the head of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), said last month that the global recovery in passenger travel was continuing to gain momentum.

Overall global passenger traffic in July hit 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with domestic travel at 86.9 per cent of the July 2019 level.

_________________________

Inside Qantas' A350 jet for world's longest flight