Warning to former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce as he’s spotted in Ireland
Alan Joyce has been spotted in Ireland, as the Senate will vote on a bid to bring him back to Australia over Qantas failings that happened on his watch. See the exclusive photos, video.
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Exclusive: Alan Joyce has been sighted for the first time in almost two months, as pressure intensifies for the former Qantas boss to return to Australia to front parliament over his disastrous tenure.
The Senate will on Wednesday vote on a motion to summon the one-time high flying airline chief back to answer questions about the many Qantas failings that happened on his watch.
Of specific focus is whether Qantas lobbied the Federal Government to block Qatar from getting 28 extra flights into Australia each week — a move that would have saved travellers $500 on a return fare to Europe.
It comes as new photographs show Mr Joyce leaving the Ireland home of his 82-year-old mother Collette.
“Mr Joyce can’t hide from fronting up to the Australian people forever,” the inquiry’s chair Nationals MP Bridget McKenzie said.
“It is now time for Mr Joyce to come home and attend the inquiry.
“Any further refusal to co-operate with the Senate inquiry is a signal of contempt for the Australian Parliament.”
News Corp travelled to Dublin in search of the elusive executive, who left Sydney six weeks ago after getting a $21.4 million payday for his final year at the airline.
Mr Joyce, 57, was snapped wearing a navy baseball cap, black jeans and black puffer jacket, in the driveway of his mother’s modest three-bedroom terrace in a working-class neighbourhood in South Dublin.
He had been at the property – which had been locked up for two weeks – with relatives.
Mr Joyce is exceptionally close to his mother Collette, who raised him and his three brothers with her late husband Maurice.
Collette, a retired swimming centre cleaner, is recuperating from a partial hip replacement – after injuring herself on a visit to Australia last Christmas – and is being cared for by two of her sons, successful animator Maurice Jr, and Paul, an architect.
The operation occurred nine months ago and, according to locals, she is recovering well.
“She was in hospital, but she’s grand now,” a close family friend said.
News Corp asked Alan Joyce for comment via his brother, Maurice.
He replied in an email: “It goes without saying that family is our top priority, so it’s been really important for Alan to be with us here in Dublin to support my mum and sister-in-law who haven’t been well.
“I hope you understand that at this stage, Alan is not talking to the media.”
It is the second time Mr Joyce has travelled to Ireland this year, and in July, he returned back to Australia early from a trip to Italy and Dublin to deal with a string of problems at the airline.
Local Irish councillor Charlie O’Connor said he believed Mr Joyce had been with his mother for the past six weeks.
“I do not want to say anything that might upset Mrs Joyce, but I’m pleased she’s getting well and hope Alan Joyce does the right thing,” Mr O’Connor said.
Mr Joyce, who exited Qantas in September two months earlier than scheduled, has been issued with a warning he could face jail if he does not front up to the senate inquiry.
Qantas’ share price has plummeted from $6.69 in July to be trading at $4.91 this week – a 25 per cent fall.
The airline has also been hit with a $600 million lawsuit for allegedly selling tickets on “ghost flights”, and suffered an embarrassing High Court loss that found it illegally sacked 1700 workers.
Separately, Qantas chairman Richard Goyder has also confirmed he will join Mr Joyce in the departure lounge, while the head of its Frequent Flyer program Olivia Wirth also pulled the ripcord this week.
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