Qantas workers 'excited' as big change confirmed after 12 years: 'Fresh start'
Qantas staff have dealt with plenty of customer frustration in the past, but their crews are warming to a new era for the airline.
Qantas employees are embracing change at the airline, with a push to repair the company's reputation well-received by cabin crew. Australia's national carrier has toiled its way through a reputational crisis in recent years with several scandals causing serious damage to the public's perception of the brand.
Since taking over as CEO, Vanessa Hudson has put emphasis on gaining the trust of the public once more, and an overhaul of Qantas's image is underway. One change announced last week was its decision to bin the airline's current uniforms after 12 years. It's a move one veteran employee tells Yahoo News Australia has been long overdue.
"It's great... some of us don't particularly like the current uniforms as it is, they aren't that comfortable and the fabrics aren't the best. It's been 12 years now and we're definitely ready for a change," the cabin crew member of more than 30 years said. A search is on for a designer for the new uniform.
Staff feel new Qantas CEO cares more
Hudson said the change was part of a "new era" for the airline and suggested it wasn't just customers they need to make amends with. She said staff will assist the process of choosing a new uniform, putting them "at the heart of the redesign" with a new uniform delivered in 2027.
Such remarks can sometimes be dismissed as a public relations play, but for those working on Qantas flights, they are seeing a change around the company.
"[Hudson] is trying to involve and engage all the staff and is getting more feedback from us. She's trying to listen and is making an effort," the crew member told Yahoo.
"The crew are excited and they're ready for a fresh start, there's a genuine belief the company can turn the reputation around."
Hudson has her work cut out, taking over from Alan Joyce who left early amid controversy with a hefty payout. Last year Qantas fell to 24th in the World Airline Awards rankings, having sat in fifth place just two years earlier.
"We have ambitious plans for the future and transforming the way we reflect the brand is critical to that," Hudson said of the uniform change.
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