Wobbly chair: Qantas boss in holding pattern, says he has no plans to step aside
Qantas chairman Richard Goyder has launched a passionate self defence as calls for him to resign from the embattled airline continue to rumble.
In a fiery parliamentary public hearing, Mr Goyder wouldnât answer when asked if his position was untenable but said he felt assured he had major shareholder support to continue.
The committee is investigating what role Qantas played in the transport ministerâs decision to knock back Qatar Airwaysâ application to double its flights to Australia.
On Wednesday, attention turned to scandals embroiling Qantas and its battered reputation.
After the Transport Workersâ Union, Pilots Association and Australian Shareholdersâ Association added their names to a number of politicians calling for him to quit, Mr Goyder stayed resolute.
While admitting Qantas âhas some work to doâ, he said a meeting with shareholders after Alan Joyceâs recent retirement as CEO encouraged him to kick on.
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âMy history in business has been one of high ethics,â Mr Goyder told the inquiry.
âIâve navigated a company through the global financial crisis, chaired Qantas through the most existential crisis weâve ever had as an airline, and right now the major shareholders and the board feel Iâm the best person to navigate us through the current situation.â
Labor senator Tony Sheldon was unmoved by Qantasâ apology to the committee, suggesting executives at the carrier were only saying sorry because theyâd been caught.
Senator Sheldon fired back when Mr Goyder defended the airlineâs illegal sacking of 1700 workers during the pandemic by saying it made business sense.
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âWhen Qantas starts talking about the court finding ⌠you say there were sound commercial reasons,â he told the inquiry.
âIsnât it pretty insincere to apologise for the staff and families whose lives were destroyed, but then say on the other hand, we have sound commercial reasons?â
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed the airline asked the government not to approve Qatarâs bid.
But Qantas wouldnât commit to publicly revealing its submission to the government.
âWe said the rest of the market should be given a chance to recover before such increases were considered and that is exactly whatâs happened,â Ms Hudson told the committee.
Earlier, Qatar said it was âsurprised and shockedâ after discovering through the media its application was rejected, but maintained it could deliver the extra services by Christmas if the government changed its mind.
Liberal senator Simon Birimingham said that would be great news for travellers and Australiaâs tourism sector.
Qatar estimated the additional flights would add $3 billion of economic benefits to Australia, adding the Victorian government was predicting a second daily flight from Doha to Melbourne would create 900 jobs.
Australian Airports Association CEO James Goodwin said a review into the Qatar rejection was necessary.
âWe should be putting the red carpet out for any carrier that wants to fly into and out of Australia,â he said.
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