Cruising altitude
Shareholders gushed over Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson at today’s AGM, as optimism from a new Project Sunrise teaser outshone a lacklustre trading update.
Qantas came out swinging ahead of Friday’s annual general meeting with a double media splash: the first glimpse of its long-awaited Project Sunrise aircraft and the unveiling of a new economy ‘plus’ offering on domestic routes and flights to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Heading into the meeting, there were fears of a showdown over chair John Mullen’s workload and a recent cyberattack.
But neither issue registered — and not even a lacklustre trading update that saw the airline lower its domestic revenue outlook, sending shares tumbling almost 7% to six-month lows — could dampen the mood.
“I’m really enjoying this meeting,” said one beaming shareholder during his question to the board, before Mullen hit back: “Not as much as I am”.
