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Vanessa Hudson

March

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson has lunch with the AFR’s Ayesha de Kretser at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany.

Why Vanessa Hudson’s kids didn’t want her to be Qantas CEO

The airline boss opens up about career timing, why it’s OK to be wrong, and why the timetable for fleet renewal is fine, thank you very much.

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson.

Qantas says new planes will end battle for overhead luggage space

CEO Vanessa Hudson says aircraft due to be delivered in June will help improve the airline’s on-time performance and provide 60 per cent more overhead cabin bin space.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson at the Business Summit on Wednesday.

Qantas’ Vanessa Hudson says delaying fleet upgrade is paying dividends

The delivery of hi-tech aircraft such as ultra long-haul planes was helping grow profits and keeping travellers happy, according to the airline chief executive.

Qantas cracks $10, but how long will outsized profits last?

The airline had analysts racing to upgrade their long-term share price targets after a strong result last week pushed its stock above $10.

February

Vanessa Hudson is the chief executive of Qantas. She announced the resumption of dividend payments after years.

Qantas pays first dividend in six years after bumper profit

The airline also outlined plans to refurbish dozens of Boeing 737 aircraft as it grapples with high demand but a lack of new planes.

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January

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson will have to spend $13 billion upgrading the airline’s fleet.

Are you flying on a 22-year-old Qantas plane?

From poor planning to belt tightening and production delays, there are plenty of reasons why the airline’s fleet is ageing. But it’s making flying worse.

December 2024

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully Profile with Jetstar staff in Melbourne Airport.

Jetstar CEO says low-cost carrier is glimpse into Qantas’ future

It’s the low-cost airline everyone loves to hate, but Stephanie Tully says that’s changed and being part of Qantas means a lot of benefit from economies of scale.

November 2024

Qatar Airways has proposed to take a 25 per stake in Virgin Australia. That deal still needs Foreign investment Review Board approval.

Virgin’s plan to fly Qatar planes poised for ACCC green light

The Bain-backed airline hopes to fly the Gulf carrier’s Boeing 777s to Doha in a return to long-haul international services from the middle of next year.

Qantas reduced its chief executive pay by 26 per cent when it replaced Alan Joyce with Vanessa Hudson.

Female bosses are paid $159k less than men

Female chief executives and heads of business are paid an average of $158,632 less than their male counterparts, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

October 2024

The Fin - Joe Aston

Joe Aston on Qantas: ‘This is a story about power in the shadows’

This week on The Fin podcast, Joe Aston on what went wrong for the airline, why it has an oversized influence in Canberra, and the extraordinary perks of a Qantas board seat.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson has pulled off an impressive balancing act.

Qantas finds clearer air, but its past must fuel longer turnaround

The airline’s annual general meeting highlighted good progress, but the mistakes of the past should continue to shape the next stage of its comeback.

Transport Workers Union NSW assistant secretary Nick McIntosh and former Qantas employees outside the Federal Court in Sydney.

Qantas faces $100m-plus hit for illegal sackings

The case is shaping up as the biggest industrial relations loss in Australia’s history.

Qantas suffered an epic strike against its remuneration last year.

Proxy adviser tells shareholders to rebuke Qantas on exec pay

At least one influential proxy adviser, ISS, is not content with cutting Alan Joyce’s pay by $9 million.

Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce will keep flying upfront for free for another 22 years.

Alan Joyce to keep flying on Qantas dime for more than two decades

The former chief executive is entitled to perks worth millions of dollars, as Richard Goyder makes the most use of his free flights this year.

September 2024

Qantas pilots to vote on pay freeze offer (worth 30pc more)

Short-haul pilots are the last group of the airline’s employees to vote on enterprise agreements since the pandemic, when wages were frozen across all entities.

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Rex’s grounding is more bad news for travellers.

Domestic airfares jump after collapse of Rex

The demise of the regional carrier is more bad news for travellers as domestic raise fares and Qantas lifts its fees for changing bookings.

A Qantas aircraft at Sydney Airport. The company has said it will improve the customer experience, but is now charging more to change travel arrangements.

Qantas raises the cost of changing tickets by a whopping 20pc

The airline, which last year pledged to make it easier for travellers to modify flights, says it’s the first time it’s changed this particular fee since 2017.

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson.

Airlines and Melbourne Airport headed for runway funding feud

Vanessa Hudson says Melbourne Airport needs to wait until “the demand is there” before building a third runway and charging airlines and their passengers to pay for it.

The introduction of Jetstar onto routes already flown by Qantas pushes airfares in the full-service carrier higher, Treasury has found.

Coalition wants powers to force Qantas to divest Jetstar

Though the Opposition is not calling for the low-budget airline to be sold, it thinks the threat will push the country’s largest carrier to lower prices.

August 2024

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson  has pulled of an impressive balancing act.

Qantas’ profit drop is a good sign for Hudson. But new tests loom

Chief executive Vanessa Hudson has walked the tightrope between customers, staff and shareholders. But will the economy make her turnaround harder?

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/vanessa-hudson-6g7k