Qantas concedes reputation ‘hit hard on several fronts’ and will take time to repair

Qantas has conceded its reputation had already been “hit hard on several fronts” before the consumer watchdog launched legal action and that “it will take time to repair” its standing in the eyes of Australians. In a lengthy statement on Monday, Qantas said it was still reviewing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s allegations that the airline had sold tickets for more than 8,000 flights that were already cancelled in its system. Qantas said it “will have more to say” after reviewing the case but said that “understandably, these allegations have caused significant concern among our customers, our people and the general community”. “The ACCC’s allegations come at a time when Qantas’ reputation has already been hit hard on several fronts,” Qantas said.<br/>“We want the community to know that we hear and understand their disappointment. We know that the only way to fix it is by delivering consistently. We know it will take time to repair. And we are absolutely determined to do that.” Qantas said the period of time the ACCC investigated in mid-2022 was one of well-publicised upheaval and uncertainty across the aviation industry, as the airline struggled to restart post-Covid. “We openly acknowledge that our service standards fell well short and we sincerely apologise.” The ACCC accused Qantas of engaging in false, misleading or deceptive conduct and has said it wants the airline to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties if found guilty.<br/>