Australia's Qantas Airways said its long-serving CEO would bring forward his retirement amid a publicity firestorm over an accusation of illegal ticket sales, signalling what the flagship carrier hopes is the end of a tumultuous period.
Five days earlier, Australia's consumer watchdog sued Qantas alleging it sold tickets to some 8,000 flights in mid-2022 after they were cancelled, violating the country's consumer law.
Qantas had issued two apologies, blaming tough industry conditions at the time.
Over a decade and a half Joyce faced regular criticism for cutting jobs, including a 2011 decision to ground the entire Qantas fleet over an industrial dispute.
Even before the fares-for-no-flights scandal, Qantas was facing negative headlines over reports it campaigned successfully to have Australia's federal government stop rival Qatar Airways from running additional flights to Australia.
Persons:
Alan Joyce, Joyce
Organizations:
Qantas Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways
Locations:
Australia