Joyce on Qantas's Post-COVID Turmoil.
Alan Joyce takes responsibility for Qantas's post-COVID chaos, defends layoff decisions.
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Key Points
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Joyce told 60 Minutes that Qantas is in survival mode now because we got more things right than we got wrong.
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Qantas fired 1,820 ground crew and baggage handlers in 2021, which led to legal action and financial penalties totaling about $120 million in compensation and a further $90 million fine for lack of contrition.
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Joyce has highlighted the post‑COVID restart as chaotic, citing ghost flights, withholding of flight credits, and criticism of passengers for not being “match fit” for flying.
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Joyce stepped down from Qantas two months early in 2023 amid political and consumer backlash, and he is promoting his memoir Riding the Jet Stream as his perspective on the turbulent era.
Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says he takes full responsibility for the airline's post-COVID chaos — but insists the hard calls he made kept Qantas alive. Speaking ahead of the release of his memoir, Riding the Jet Stream, Joyce told 60 Minutes that Qantas survived because 'we got more things right than we got wrong.' The New Daily reports his book defends many decisions that made him a symbol of corporate arrogance to many Australians.
Joyce stepped down two months early in September 2023 amid intense political and consumer backlash. He has not spoken at length publicly since — until now.
The 1,820 Firings That Cost Qantas $210 Million
In 2021, Qantas fired 1,820 ground crew and baggage handlers during the pandemic shutdown. The move was later ruled illegal. The airline paid around $120 million in compensation to affected workers. A court then hit Qantas with a further $90 million fine, partly because judges found the airline showed no contrition, according to Daily Mail.
Joyce says he accepts ultimate responsibility as CEO. Head Topics reports he has said that with hindsight, he would have made different decisions — but stops short of a full apology. His position is that the information available at the time drove those choices.
Ghost Flights, Frozen Credits, and 'Match Fit' Passengers
The post-COVID restart was a disaster for passengers. Qantas sold tickets on flights that did not operate — so-called ghost flights. The airline also held onto flight credits customers were owed. Long queues, lost bags, and mass cancellations followed. Joyce famously suggested passengers needed to be 'match fit' for flying again, a comment that drew widespread ridicule.
Head Topics reports Joyce now says he regrets how that period was handled. He acknowledges the restart was chaotic and that his public comments made things worse. But he still argues the airline had no perfect options coming out of a once-in-a-century crisis.
Joyce's 'I'm Sorry, But' Defense of His Legacy
Joyce's public comeback has been described as an 'apologetic but defensive' tour. Head Topics reports he has said 'I'm sorry' while also justifying nearly every major decision. He frames the chaos as an unavoidable consequence of restarting a grounded airline, not a failure of leadership.
The New Daily notes Joyce calls himself 'a polarising figure' and acknowledges public distrust. His memoir is his attempt to reframe his ten-year tenure. He argues that without those tough calls, Qantas might not exist today.
Why Joyce Left Early and What He Says Now
Joyce had been expected to lead Qantas into late 2023. Instead, he quit two months ahead of schedule as political pressure and consumer anger peaked. The backlash followed court rulings, regulatory scrutiny, and a collapse in public trust. He left with a pay package that drew its own controversy.
Now, three years later, Joyce is back with a book and a media tour. Daily Mail reports he still defends the airline's core survival strategy while admitting the execution was flawed. His central argument: Qantas is standing today because of — not despite — the decisions made on his watch.
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