Qantas travellers have been put on alert for flight disruptions as engineers stage a fortnight of industrial action heading into football grand finals. The action began in Melbourne on Thursday morning and will spread around the nation in coming days. Unions are pushing for a 15% pay rise this year and a further 5% per year after that, which they say would make up for more than three years of wage freezes. About 1,100 aircraft maintenance workers are covered by the agreement under negotiation, which is about 45% of the airline’s engineers. Their unions said the action was highly likely to affect Qantas flights in all capital cities, and the airline warned some passengers of possible delays. Qantas made a profit of $1.25bn in the 2023-24 financial year, down 28.3% on the previous 12 months. Its CE, Vanessa Hudson, previously said the airline had deliberately reduced its margins on international travel as it worked to balance the needs of shareholders, employees and customers. The Australian Workers’ Union national secretary, Paul Farrow, said the airline had refused to accept a “fair deal”.<br/>