Pilots call for Qantas chair Richard Goyder to resign

The news: Pilots have called on Qantas chairman Richard Goyder to resign after the series of recent missteps by Australia’s biggest airline.

The numbers: Qantas, which posted a $1.7 billion profit last month, has been accused by the ACCC of selling tickets for more than 8000 flights it had already cancelled, prompting then CEO Alan Joyce to bring forward his retirement. The High Court also found the airline’s decision to outsource 1,683 ground staff jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic was illegal.

The context: The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) said Chairman Richard Goyder has overseen “one of the most damaging periods in Qantas history” and called on him to step down amid low pilot morale amid the botched recovery from the pandemic and a series of woeful decisions.

“Qantas desperately needs a culture reset but how can this happen with Richard Goyder as chairman?” AIPA president Tony Lucas said in a statement. Qantas on Monday outlined higher spending on customer improvements but also warned the recent spikes in fuel prices will inflate its fuel bill for the first-half.