The largest domestic and international airline in Australia, Qantas, has recovered from significant losses during the pandemic after posting profits of over A$1.4 billion over the past six months.
During the pandemic, when Australia was under strict travel restrictions, the airline lost more than A$7bn. However, as Australians are now free to travel the world again and tourists from all corners of the globe are welcome once again down under, the demand for flights has taken off once again to rescue Qantas from the doldrums.
Last year, the airline faced criticism over canceled flights and lost luggage, but that doesn’t appear to have damaged their reputation too much, as they are still considered the most popular airline in Australia.
Alan Joyce, the airline’s Chief Executive, has said that revenues tripled to almost A$10n over the last six months of 2022. He added that it was a “huge turnaround considering the massive losses” they were facing just 12 months ago.
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A Better Year Ahead for Joyce
The news will greatly relieve Joyce, who didn’t enjoy a particularly pleasant year in 2022. While the pandemic did nothing to help any airline in the world, Qantas perhaps suffered more than most due to the particularly strict travel restrictions in Australia.
For 18 consecutive months, the Australian government kept their borders closed to non-Australians while many Australians were left stranded overseas due to the strict quotas on arrivals.
With the need for aircraft at an all-time low, Qantas announced in August 2020 that it cut thousands of jobs, which sparked outcry across the country. As a result, a court case ensued, which cost the company millions of pounds.
Unsurprisingly, this decision to cut so many jobs came back to haunt them when restrictions were eased last year. Thousands of Qantas passengers were left seething as countless flights faced delays and cancellations due to staff shortages, and Joyce was the man who was blamed for it all.
Things came to a head when his A$19m mansion was pelted with toilet paper and eggs in August. Shortly after, further issues occurred when technical issues coincidentally impacted a number of Qantas flights.
Despite that, the airline has recently regained its title of the world’s safest airline, according to AirlineRatings.com, so things are finally starting to look up for Qantas and Joyce.
However, don’t expect them to start dishing out any favors any time soon. The Chief Executive has recently confirmed that fares would remain “significantly” above 2019 levels despite making billions in profit last year.
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Three Places to Visit in Australia
With Australia now welcoming tourists again, here are three places you should visit if you are planning a trip down under in 2023:
- Sydney – Although the official capital city of Australia is Canberra, Sydney is the city that you are going to want to visit the most. Its most iconic landmarks are Sydney harbor, where you will find the beautiful Sydney Opera House. Aside from that, Sydney is also home to some of the world’s most famous beaches, including Bondi.
- Great Barrier Reef – The Great Barrier Reef stretches 2300km down the northeast coast and is simply stunning. Take a tour, pack your snorkel, and enjoy swimming in the beautiful water surrounded by different wildlife. It is the world’s largest coral reef.
- Ayers Rock – If you like beautiful scenery, then you have to visit Ayers Rock in the Red Centre. Take a trip here during sunrise and/or sunset, and you will be blown away by the soaring rock formations and the scenic landscape.
This article was produced and syndicated by The Impulse Traveler.
