Key Points
- Qantas chair Richard Goyner announced he will step down from the role next year.
- Goyder joins former CEO Alan Joyce in leaving the airline in recent months.
- The High Court ruled last month Qantas had illegally sacked almost 1,700 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Richard Goyder will quit as Qantas chair next year as the company continues to seek to repair its damaged reputation.
Goyder will retire before the airline's annual general meeting of shareholders in October 2024, following a number of calls his position had become untenable.
He had insisted before the Senate late last month that he still had the backing of 14 of the company's 20 biggest shareholders. However, the company announced on Wednesday morning Goyder would stand down from the role in 2024.
"Qantas has gone through an incredibly difficult period since our operation was grounded during the pandemic," he said.
"The recovery has not been easy and mistakes were made … we again apologise for those times where we got it wrong."
Recent reputational blows for the airline includeand the consumer watchdog launching Federal Court action alleging it sold customers tickets on flights it had already cancelled.
The Transport Workers' Union (TWU) called for Goyder to "follow Joyce out the door" immediately.
"Today's announcement of a 2024 exit is an attempt by Goyder to leave in a dignified manner with another year's pay in his pocket — after presiding over the largest case of illegal sackings in Australian history," it said in a post on X, formerly know at Twitter.
Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce during the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living in August. He quit as the airline's chief last month. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
The airline is not out from under the microscope yet with the committee intending to summon Joyce to give evidence once he returns to the country from overseas.
"As a board, we acknowledge the significant reputational and customer service issues facing the group and recognise that accountability is required to restore trust," Goyder said.
"Fundamentally, the group is in a very strong position to overcome its current challenges and deliver for all its stakeholders in the years ahead."
and the airline said it will work through a process to pick a new chair.
