QANTAS Group has announced a major shake-up of personnel and departments in a note to staff that has been leaked to mainstream media.
The national carrier confirmed a senior leadership shuffle that will see Andrew Glance become Chief Executive of Loyalty & Customer; International and Freight boss Cam Wallace take on in-flight and on-ground services; and domestic head Markus Svensson add customer care.
QantasLink chief Rachel Yangoyan also become the airline’s first chief of technology, AI & transformation, leaving room for a major change to the regional brand, which will now merge with Qantas domestic; Jetstar boss Mark Dal Pra will take on Yangon’s former role but will now report into Svensson.
There are a number of departures as well, including Chief Customer Officer Catriona Larritt, Chief Data & Information Officer Andrew Walduck, and Executive Manager In-flight Experience David Kondo.
News.com.au also reported that up to 400 jobs may be lost prior to Christmas, although Qantas has strenuously denied this.
Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson took the opportunity to explain why the airline was making such significant changes on the eve of receiving hundreds of new aircraft – the biggest fleet renewal in the airline’s history.
The Australian Financial Review reported that Hudson wrote, “With more than 200 new aircraft joining our fleet over the next decade and significant investment in technology and AI ahead, I’ve taken this opportunity to update the group leadership team structure and responsibilities to ensure we are set up for success.”
Meanwhile, Qantas will also scrap its direct flights between Melbourne and Honolulu from February due to soft demand, just nine months after launching the route.
By contrast, demand on Sydney-Honolulu remains strong, with the Flying Kangaroo confirming it will boost the service to six flights per week, going up to daily flights in April to cater for re-bookings from the abandoned Melbourne service.
