No spirit of Australia in Qantas closures, report finds
The decision to close three regional Qantas bases has devastated workers and their families and nothing has changed since the airline was hit with a record $90 million fine for illegally dismissing staff, an investigation has found.
The airline’s regional arm QantasLink has announced that its bases in Canberra, Hobart and Mildura will close from April, affecting 71 flight and cabin crew.
The company said the closures would improve reliability by ensuring more staff are available at major ports to respond to flight disruptions.
But an ongoing Senate inquiry examining the aviation industry has found the closures were poorly managed, harming staff and creating uncertainty in regional communities.
According to the committee’s report, the closures need to be considered in the context of the airline’s history; This includes the Federal Court’s record $90 million fine for illegally outsourcing ground staff during COVID-19.
“The process leading up to Qantas’ announcement shows that Qantas did not learn the right lesson from this experience,” the report said: It was tabled in parliament on Wednesday afternoon.
QantasLink announced a review of base operations on 10 September 2025 before the closures were confirmed on 1 October.
The investigation found that the airline was considering closure, possibly as early as May, with widespread suspicions among staff that a decision had already been made at the time of the review.
The committee said the airline’s Spirit of Australia slogan would be better supported by the strengthening and diversification of its national network.
The report also revealed statements from affected pilots during closed hearings.
One of the pilots told how he was moved to one of the regional bases as part of the 2024 Qantas staff placement program designed to boost morale.
Pilot bought and renovated a house after being assured he had no intention of closing bases, but was told it would close in 2025.
“The committee recognizes the devastating impact of this decision on affected individuals and their families,” the report said.
“The decision also impacts the communities of Canberra, Hobart and Mildura, permanently eliminating high-skilled aviation jobs and, over time, could mean these workers and their families leave the region forever.
“Qantas’ decision to centralize its operations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane undermines the strength of regional aviation and reduces opportunities in these cities.”
In the statement made by Qantas, it was stated that the report would be examined and the investigation would continue.
“We know the decision to consolidate our crew bases is difficult for our people, so we have implemented a comprehensive support package to enable crew members to continue their families and lives in their home cities and commute to work,” he said.
Crew at the affected bases received financial support to commute or relocate, while three cabin crew members decided to leave their jobs.
The investigation will continue to look at the wider industry following Rex’s move into voluntary administration and the collapse of budget airline Bonza.
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