Base closures ‘catastrophe’ for regional Qantas workers
Qantas has said it is committed to serving the nation of Australia despite base closures and skyrocketing costs, amid fears that the aviation industry is in crisis.
QantasLink has announced that its bases in Canberra, Hobart and Mildura will close from April 2026 following Rex’s entry into voluntary administration and the collapse of budget airline Bonza.
Executives at Flying Kangaroo’s regional arm led the Senate inquiry to explain the verdict at a sometimes heated hearing in Parliament House on Friday.
Chief executive officer Rachel Yangoyan said the cost per seat of regional operations is 130 percent higher than other domestic services and 230 percent higher than international routes.
This was because regional airport fees, security, fuel and maintenance were spread over fewer passengers.
“While we must make difficult decisions at times to ensure the sustainability of our operations, we are as determined as ever to invest in the future of the Australian region,” Ms Yangoyan said.
The hearing was told that the majority of the 71 cabin and flight crew at the bases received financial support for commuting or relocation, while three cabin members decided to resign.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson told the airline’s managers that its staff felt abandoned following turbulent conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He read a note from a former Qantas pilot about the significant mental health impacts of suddenly relocating from Perth at the time.
Ms. Yangoyan said she understood the impact of workplace changes, including base closures, on workers.
“So we spent a lot of time … working on ways to make this work so that they could continue to live in their own communities if they wanted to,” he said.
Transport Workers Union organizer Sam Lynch accused Qantas of profit-making at the expense of passengers and staff, pointing to a $90 million Federal Court fine in August for illegally outsourcing more than 1,800 ground staff during the pandemic.
“I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that the aviation industry in our country is in crisis,” he said.
“We see it being regional Australia that is rising to the challenge.”
Teri O’Toole, federal secretary of the Australian Association of Flight Attendants, said the union was helping staff at the three bases secure financial packages for relocation, commuting or separation.
“Money can’t replace a parent at the dinner table, it can’t replace the lost time of an elderly parent,” Ms. O’Toole said.
“This closure is depriving Australia of skilled jobs and forcing loyal staff to make an impossible choice between their livelihoods and their loved ones.
“We ask the committee to recognize that even with this support for regional workers, the labor productivity measure often remains a personal disaster.”
The inquiry will continue to investigate the aviation industry’s ability to serve regional and rural communities and will report by mid-2026.
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