Qantas pilot and father Andrew Lawler took his own life after fearing for his future with the struggling airline

A SENIOR Qantas pilot and father-of-three who faced the possibility of losing his job under the airline’s cost-cutting measures has tragically taken his own life.

A SENIOR Qantas pilot and father-of-three who faced the possibility of losing his job under the airline’s cost-cutting measures has tragically taken his own life.

Andrew Lawler, 45, was a second officer on the airline’s ageing 747 fleet, some of which are earmarked to be retired as part of the company’s $2 billion cost cuts.

Yesterday more than 400 friends, family and Qantas colleagues crowded into St Paul’s Church in Camden to farewell the popular pilot, who had battled personal issues and depression.

His eldest daughter Chelsea, 17, stood with siblings Demi, 15, and Guy, 12, and told mourners that their fairytale life has had the “last pages ripped out and the story is incomplete”.

“Our fairytale did have a red light, the screech of a tyre and a cheeky smile that would break mum’s heart,” she said, amid tearful recollections of her dad.

“I wish we weren’t standing up here today saying goodbye to someone who meant so much to us. I wish he was here to hold us and tell us everything would be OK,” she said.

Mr Lawler, who had worked for Qantas for 12 years, was found dead at his Wollongong home last week.

The funeral for Qantas pilot Andrew Lawler at St Paul's Catholic Church, Camden.

His brother Michael said he had been struggling with a relationship breakdown and other personal issues and the prospect of losing his job also troubled him.

“I’m sure it (losing his job) would have been on his mind, but whether it was five, 10 or 50 per cent, that I’m not sure about. But I’ve been through two retrenchments ... and I know how it gets to you.”

Qantas last month offered counselling to all staff as it announced thousands of pilots, aircrew and engineers were facing either redundancy or redeployment on lower salaries.

The funeral for Qantas pilot Andrew Lawler at St Paul's Catholic Church, Camden.

A close friend and relative of Mr Lawler said: “He was stressing madly about losing his job.”

Mr Lawler began his commercial flying career with Ansett, but was made redundant when the airline collapsed in 2001. The relative said he was anxious about “going through it all again”.

It is understood his family is still considering whether to request a coronial inquiry to probe the circumstances.

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