Hackers say they have leaked the personal records of 5 million Qantas customers on the dark web, after a ransom deadline set by the cybercriminals passed.


Australia: Hackers leak Qantas Airlines passengers' names, emails & birth dates

Australian airline Qantas has asked senior executives to work as baggage handlers for three months as it tries to tackle an acute labour shortage.

The airline's&nbsp;operations manager is searching for at least 100 volunteers to work at the airports in Sydney and Melbourne.

Other than operating cars to transport luggage throughout airports, tasks include loading and unloading bags.

As borders reopen, Qantas is battling to restore its services, much like the majority of the global airline business.

According to Qantas' chief operating officer Colin Hughes, "The high rates of winter flu and a Covid increase across the population, coupled with the current tight labour market, make resourcing a challenge across our business."

"There is no requirement that you accept this position in addition to your full-time job," Mr. Hughes continued.

The managers and executives were required to work three or five days per week in shifts that lasted either four or six hours each.

Applicants must be able to move baggage weighing up to 32 kgs each, the notice continued.

According to a Qantas representative who talked to the BBC, "We've been clear that our operational performance has not been reaching our customers' expectations or the standards that we demand of ourselves - and that we've been pulling out all the stops to enhance our performance."

Since Easter, 200 head office employees have volunteered at airports during peak travel times, as we have done in the past at busy times.

As nations closed their borders and grounded planes due to the epidemic, Qantas was one of the airlines that suffered greatly.

During the epidemic, the industry fired thousands of employees, many of them were ground employees.

Qantas and other significant airlines have struggled to restore operations at the level seen prior to the epidemic as efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19 have waned globally.

(With inputs from the BBC)

Australian airline Qantas has asked senior executives to work as baggage handlers for three months as it tries to tackle an acute labour shortage. The airline's operations manager is searching for at least 100 volunteers to work at the airports in Sydney and Melbourne.

Australian airline Qantas has asked senior executives to work as baggage handlers for three months as it tries to tackle an acute labour shortage. The airline's operations manager is searching for at least 100 volunteers to work at the airports in Sydney and Melbourne. Other than operating cars to transport luggage throughout airports, tasks include loading and unloading bags. As borders reopen, Qantas is battling to restore its services, much like the majority of the global airline business. According to Qantas' chief operating officer Colin Hughes, "The high rates of winter flu and a Covid increase across the population, coupled with the current tight labour market, make resourcing a challenge across our business." "There is no requirement that you accept this position in addition to your full-time job," Mr. Hughes continued. The managers and executives were required to work three or five days per week in shifts that lasted either four or six hours each. Applicants must be able to move baggage weighing up to 32 kgs each, the notice continued. According to a Qantas representative who talked to the BBC, "We've been clear that our operational performance has not been reaching our customers' expectations or the standards that we demand of ourselves - and that we've been pulling out all the stops to enhance our performance." Since Easter, 200 head office employees have volunteered at airports during peak travel times, as we have done in the past at busy times. As nations closed their borders and grounded planes due to the epidemic, Qantas was one of the airlines that suffered greatly. During the epidemic, the industry fired thousands of employees, many of them were ground employees. Qantas and other significant airlines have struggled to restore operations at the level seen prior to the epidemic as efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19 have waned globally. (With inputs from the BBC)

Qantas asks executives to temporarily work as baggage handlers to ease labour shortage

Qantas&nbsp;announced on Monday&nbsp;it will&nbsp;launch&nbsp;the world's&nbsp;longest&nbsp;non-stop&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;flight, with passengers set to spend 19 hours in the air travelling from Sydney to London by the end of 2025.

After five years of planning, the airline said it was ordering 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate the "Project Sunrise" flights to cities including London and New York.

Non-stop&nbsp;flights will start from Sydney by the end of 2025, it said, with long-haul trips later planned to include Melbourne.

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"New types of aircraft make new things possible," said&nbsp;Qantas&nbsp;chairman Alan Joyce, according to a statement.

"The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one&nbsp;flight&nbsp;away from Australia," he said.

"It's the final frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance."

Qantas&nbsp;operated research flights for the long-haul route in 2019, including a trial London-Sydney trek of 17,800 kilometres (11,030 miles), which took 19 hours and 19 minutes.

A trial New York-Sydney&nbsp;flight&nbsp;in the same year covered 16,200 kilometres (10,200 miles) and took a little over 19 hours.

Singapore Airlines currently operates the world's&nbsp;longest&nbsp;non-stop&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;flight&nbsp;from Singapore to New York, covering 16,700 kilometres (10,400 miles) in a little under 19 hours.

Qantas&nbsp;already operates a 14,498-kilometre Perth-London trip that takes 17 hours.

Watch |&nbsp;Australia's Qantas airways: World's longest non-stop flight

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Maximum comfort

"As you'd expect, the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort for long-haul flying," Joyce said.

Qantas&nbsp;said the new A350 aircraft would be configured for 238 passengers with first-class suites offering a separate bed, recliner chair and wardrobe.

It promised spacier economy sections and a "wellbeing zone" designed for "movement, stretching and hydration".

Airbus listed the price of the A350-1000 at US$366.5 million (348 million euros) on its 2018 catalogue, the last one it published.

Qantas&nbsp;said it was also ordering 40 A321 XLR and A220 aircraft from Airbus.

In addition, it bought options for another 94 of these planes until the end of 2034.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The A220 models were listed at between US$81 million and US$91.5 million in 2018. The A321 was unveiled after Airbus stopped publishing catalogue prices.

Qantas&nbsp;said the total cost of the deal was a matter of commercial confidence, though it indicated it had obtained a significant discount on the standard price of the aircraft.

"The A320s and A220s will become the backbone of our domestic fleet for the next 20 years, helping to keep this country moving," Joyce said.

The newer aircraft would reduce emissions by at least 15 per cent if running on fossil fuels, and more if using sustainable aviation fuel, he said.

"We have come through the other side of the pandemic a structurally different company," the airline boss said.

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"Our domestic market share is higher and the demand for direct international flights is even stronger than it was before Covid."

The A350-1000 planes will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofan engines, designed to be 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than the previous generation of aircraft,&nbsp;Qantas&nbsp;said.

Qantas announced on Monday it will launch the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, with passengers set to spend 19 hours in the air travelling from Sydney to London by the end of 2025.

Qantas announced on Monday it will launch the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, with passengers set to spend 19 hours in the air travelling from Sydney to London by the end of 2025. After five years of planning, the airline said it was ordering 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate the "Project Sunrise" flights to cities including London and New York. Non-stop flights will start from Sydney by the end of 2025, it said, with long-haul trips later planned to include Melbourne. Also read | China has a record of interfering in foreign politics, says Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison "New types of aircraft make new things possible," said Qantas chairman Alan Joyce, according to a statement. "The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia," he said. "It's the final frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance." Qantas operated research flights for the long-haul route in 2019, including a trial London-Sydney trek of 17,800 kilometres (11,030 miles), which took 19 hours and 19 minutes. A trial New York-Sydney flight in the same year covered 16,200 kilometres (10,200 miles) and took a little over 19 hours. Singapore Airlines currently operates the world's longest non-stop commercial flight from Singapore to New York, covering 16,700 kilometres (10,400 miles) in a little under 19 hours. Qantas already operates a 14,498-kilometre Perth-London trip that takes 17 hours. Watch | Australia's Qantas airways: World's longest non-stop flight Maximum comfort "As you'd expect, the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort for long-haul flying," Joyce said. Qantas said the new A350 aircraft would be configured for 238 passengers with first-class suites offering a separate bed, recliner chair and wardrobe. It promised spacier economy sections and a "wellbeing zone" designed for "movement, stretching and hydration". Airbus listed the price of the A350-1000 at US$366.5 million (348 million euros) on its 2018 catalogue, the last one it published. Qantas said it was also ordering 40 A321 XLR and A220 aircraft from Airbus. In addition, it bought options for another 94 of these planes until the end of 2034. WATCH WION LIVE HERE: The A220 models were listed at between US$81 million and US$91.5 million in 2018. The A321 was unveiled after Airbus stopped publishing catalogue prices. Qantas said the total cost of the deal was a matter of commercial confidence, though it indicated it had obtained a significant discount on the standard price of the aircraft. "The A320s and A220s will become the backbone of our domestic fleet for the next 20 years, helping to keep this country moving," Joyce said. The newer aircraft would reduce emissions by at least 15 per cent if running on fossil fuels, and more if using sustainable aviation fuel, he said. "We have come through the other side of the pandemic a structurally different company," the airline boss said. Also read | Australia: Competition watchdog sues Uber for USD 19 million fine "Our domestic market share is higher and the demand for direct international flights is even stronger than it was before Covid." The A350-1000 planes will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofan engines, designed to be 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than the previous generation of aircraft, Qantas said.

19 hours in air: Qantas to launch world's longest non-stop commercial flight from Sydney to London

The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy for the tourism sector -- airlines have been grounded, and airports have been shut.

The only respite for people, born with the bug called wanderlust, has been the flight-to-nowhere service.

In a similar effort to contend with the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, Qantas Airways Ltd has launched a sight-seeing flight across Australia.

The full-day outing from Sydney took off on Saturday morning with 150 passengers and was scheduled to pass over some of the country's key landmarks.&nbsp;

“The aircraft will drop to 4,000 feet at some points during the trip for a better view, compared with 35,000 feet normally. The flight on a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner, usually reserved for long-haul international flights, will use offsets to account for its carbon emissions,” Qantas said.

Qantas has announced plans to cut 8,500 jobs, or nearly 30% of its pre-pandemic workforce, and the majority of its staff remain stood down and are receiving government support rather than their salaries.

The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy for the tourism sector -- airlines have been grounded, and airports have been shut. The only respite for people, born with the bug called wanderlust, has been the flight-to-nowhere service.

The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy for the tourism sector -- airlines have been grounded, and airports have been shut. The only respite for people, born with the bug called wanderlust, has been the flight-to-nowhere service. In a similar effort to contend with the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, Qantas Airways Ltd has launched a sight-seeing flight across Australia. The full-day outing from Sydney took off on Saturday morning with 150 passengers and was scheduled to pass over some of the country's key landmarks. “The aircraft will drop to 4,000 feet at some points during the trip for a better view, compared with 35,000 feet normally. The flight on a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner, usually reserved for long-haul international flights, will use offsets to account for its carbon emissions,” Qantas said. Qantas has announced plans to cut 8,500 jobs, or nearly 30% of its pre-pandemic workforce, and the majority of its staff remain stood down and are receiving government support rather than their salaries.

Qantas full-day flight to nowhere takes off

Qantas Airways Ltd is axing at least 20% 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.

The Australian airline also said on Thursday it will ground 100 aircraft for up to 12 months and retire its remaining Boeing Co 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.”

Along with other airlines around the world, Qantas is battling against a huge drop in demand after countries including Australia closed their borders to try contain the pandemic.

Australian officials have said the country is likely to remain closed to the vast majority of international travellers until next year.

Joyce said Qantas was taking a “realistic” view that there would not be international operations of real scale until July 2021, with a proposed “travel bubble” between Australia and New Zealand a potential exception.

The cost-saving plan, which along with reduced fuel expenses is expected to save around A$15 billion, marks Qantas’ first equity raising in just over a decade. It also coincides with what was supposed to be a celebratory 100-year anniversary for the airline.

The capital raising, at a discount of 13% to the airline’s last trading price, includes an underwritten A$1.36 billion institutional placement and a A$500 million share purchase plan.

“We view Qantas’ adherence to its financial framework as highly supportive of its rating, as it ensures its capital structure remains robust and liquidity remains strong,” Moody’s vice president Ian Chitterer said.

Qantas is one of only a handful of airlines with an investment grade rating.

<h3>GROUNDED PLANES</h3>

The 6,000 job cuts will come from across the airline’s 29,000-strong workforce. Around half will be non-operational and ground operations staff, with the remainder a mix of cabin crew, engineers and pilots.

A further 15,000 workers will remained furloughed until Qantas begins operating more flights. It has begun ramping up domestic flying as state borders reopen and expects to reach 40% of normal capacity in July, an average of around 70% next financial year and 100% in FY22.

With international operations on hold, Qantas will take an impairment charge of up to A$1.4 billion, mostly due to its fleet of 12 Airbus SE A380s, which Joyce said were not expected to fly again for at least three years and would be sent to the Mojave Desert for storage. The carrier will initially use its smaller A330s and 787s when international operations resume, he said.

Joyce, who has led Qantas since 2008, has agreed to remain chief executive until at least June 2023.

“The last thing I wanted to do is leave when we are in the biggest crisis in our history,” said Joyce, who oversaw a grounding of the airline’s entire fleet in 2011 over a pay dispute and led a subsequent cost-cutting turnaround plan.

Qantas Airways Ltd is axing at least 20% 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.

Qantas Airways Ltd is axing at least 20% 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. The Australian airline also said on Thursday it will ground 100 aircraft for up to 12 months and retire its remaining Boeing Co 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.” Along with other airlines around the world, Qantas is battling against a huge drop in demand after countries including Australia closed their borders to try contain the pandemic. Australian officials have said the country is likely to remain closed to the vast majority of international travellers until next year. Joyce said Qantas was taking a “realistic” view that there would not be international operations of real scale until July 2021, with a proposed “travel bubble” between Australia and New Zealand a potential exception. The cost-saving plan, which along with reduced fuel expenses is expected to save around A$15 billion, marks Qantas’ first equity raising in just over a decade. It also coincides with what was supposed to be a celebratory 100-year anniversary for the airline. The capital raising, at a discount of 13% to the airline’s last trading price, includes an underwritten A$1.36 billion institutional placement and a A$500 million share purchase plan. “We view Qantas’ adherence to its financial framework as highly supportive of its rating, as it ensures its capital structure remains robust and liquidity remains strong,” Moody’s vice president Ian Chitterer said. Qantas is one of only a handful of airlines with an investment grade rating. GROUNDED PLANES The 6,000 job cuts will come from across the airline’s 29,000-strong workforce. Around half will be non-operational and ground operations staff, with the remainder a mix of cabin crew, engineers and pilots. A further 15,000 workers will remained furloughed until Qantas begins operating more flights. It has begun ramping up domestic flying as state borders reopen and expects to reach 40% of normal capacity in July, an average of around 70% next financial year and 100% in FY22. With international operations on hold, Qantas will take an impairment charge of up to A$1.4 billion, mostly due to its fleet of 12 Airbus SE A380s, which Joyce said were not expected to fly again for at least three years and would be sent to the Mojave Desert for storage. The carrier will initially use its smaller A330s and 787s when international operations resume, he said. Joyce, who has led Qantas since 2008, has agreed to remain chief executive until at least June 2023. “The last thing I wanted to do is leave when we are in the biggest crisis in our history,” said Joyce, who oversaw a grounding of the airline’s entire fleet in 2011 over a pay dispute and led a subsequent cost-cutting turnaround plan.

Qantas cutting 20% of workforce and raising capital in coronavirus battle

Qantas will cut at least 6,000 jobs across all parts of the business as part of its long-term response to the coronavirus pandemic

Qantas to cut at least 6,000 jobs as part of COVID-19 recovery plans

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Australia: Hackers leak Qantas Airlines passengers' names, emails & birth dates

Qantas asks executives to temporarily work as baggage handlers to ease labour shortage

19 hours in air: Qantas to launch world's longest non-stop commercial flight from Sydney to London

Qantas full-day flight to nowhere takes off

Qantas cutting 20% of workforce and raising capital in coronavirus battle

Qantas to cut at least 6,000 jobs as part of COVID-19 recovery plans