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My Take | Australia’s Qantas needs to own its problems for its reputation to soar again

  • Once lauded as a safe airline with an impeccable flying record, Qantas has in recent years been known for repeated flight delays and poor service
  • A culture of blaming others for its woes and a reliance on government handouts are some reasons why Australian loyalty to the airline is waning

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A fisherman drives his boat on Botany Bay as a Qantas Airways Boeing 737-838 airplane takes off at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith international airport. Photo: AFP
Su-Lin Tanin Singapore
When a large listed company and national icon like Australia’s Qantas cries foul over competition, plays the victim and sulks to the government when the going gets tough, one has to wonder about management’s thinking.

After it was privatised between 1992 and 1995, the airline invested in a decent fleet of Boeing aircraft and had an impeccable flying record. In the 1988 film Rain Man, the character Raymond Babbitt said: “Qantas never crashes.”

That was Qantas at the height of its game.

For some years now, while it kept its flights full, shadows lurk.

A welcome sign in the registration area for the Qantas Airways annual general meeting in Melbourne. Photo: Bloomberg
A welcome sign in the registration area for the Qantas Airways annual general meeting in Melbourne. Photo: Bloomberg

There are now regular complaints about poor service including delays and cancellations, confusing refund processes, underwhelming meals, unanswered customer service lines and having surly flight attendants.

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