Qantas International CEO Tino La Spina exits
Qantas International CEO Tino La Spina has become the airline’s highest ranking casualty of the COVID cuts.
Qantas has reduced the size of its executive management team by erasing the role of Qantas International CEO Tino La Spina in response to COVID-19.
Mr La Spina joins 6000 other Qantas and Jetstar workers departing the airline group.
In a memo to staff, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said it was a “difficult but necessary decision” due to the fact the international fleet was in long-term hibernation and crews were faced with extended stand-downs.
“Australia’s borders are increasingly likely to remain closed for some time and we don’t expect our international flying to resume before mid-2021,” Mr Joyce wrote.
“Even then, it will take years for activity levels to return to what they were pre-COVID.”
He paid tribute to Mr La Spina who had spent 14 years with Qantas and previously held the roles of deputy chief financial officer and CFO.
His promotion to Qantas International CEO last year followed the abrupt departure of Alison Webster, who reportedly clashed with Mr Joyce over her business reports.
“It’s obviously disappointing that his time as head of Qantas International has been cut so short, but as Tino put it to me, he’s one of many people at Qantas whose career has been impacted by this crisis,” said Mr Joyce.
“I’ve worked closely with Tino for many years. He’s a very talented executive who brings his trademark enthusiasm to every challenge. We wish him all the very best for the future.”
Responsibility for the international division will go to Qantas domestic and freight CEO Andrew David, whom Mr Joyce thanked for taking on the extra work. It means that the executive management team numbers 10 instead of 11.
In the 2019 financial year, Mr La Spina was one of the airline’s highest paid executives, earning $3.23m including just under $1m base pay.
After stepping into the role of international CEO last October, he quickly ruffled feathers among pilots by threatening to outsource their jobs for Project Sunrise flights if they did not sign a new pay deal.
But months of negotiation saw long haul pilots vote in favour of the deal in March.
Last week Qantas announced its annual results including a $2.7bn loss before tax
Shares in Qantas closed down 4.3 per cent at $3.73.
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