Qantas Airways Ltd is axing at least 20 per cent of its workforce and intends to raise up to A$1.9 billion ($1.3 billion) of equity under a sweeping cost-saving plan prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Reuters reported that the Australian airline also said it will ground 100 aircraft for up to 12 months and retire its remaining Boeing 747 fleet immediately, six months ahead of schedule, given travel restrictions imposed by the global health crisis.

“We have to position ourselves for several years when revenue will be much lower,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said of the three-year plan. “And this means becoming a much smaller airline in the short term.”

Opinion

Editorial

Larijani’s killing
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Larijani’s killing

The late Larijani was one of the most powerful men in Iran — a thinker and a soldier.
War’s hunger toll
19 Mar, 2026

War’s hunger toll

THE conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues to widen with far-reaching repercussions.The UN’s World ...
Let them in
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Let them in

THE government need not be so difficult. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have not ...
Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...