What Qantas actually looks for
Qantas is Australia's flag carrier, headquartered in Sydney, a founding member of the oneworld alliance, and one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world, tracing back to 1920 in Queensland, where its name originally stood for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. Known affectionately as the Flying Kangaroo, Qantas went through a genuinely difficult 2023: it faced legal action and a large penalty from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over selling tickets on flights it had already cancelled, was found by Australia's High Court to have illegally outsourced ground crew jobs during the pandemic, and saw long-serving CEO Alan Joyce depart amid the fallout. Vanessa Hudson took over as CEO in September 2023 with an explicit mandate to rebuild trust and repair internal culture. Interviewers want candidates who understand this recent history honestly and are genuinely invested in the rebuilding effort, not just the airline's heritage brand.
Common questions and how to answer them
Qantas went through serious reputational damage in 2023. Why do you want to join during this rebuilding period? Acknowledge the ghost flights scandal and outsourcing ruling honestly rather than avoiding them, and focus on genuine belief in the current leadership's direction. Tell me about a time you helped restore trust with a customer or team after a serious mistake. This connects directly to what CEO Vanessa Hudson has publicly prioritized since 2023. What does the Flying Kangaroo brand mean to you personally? A genuine answer beats a rehearsed one; Qantas holds real cultural significance in Australia.
How to prepare
Understand the 2023 ghost flights scandal, the High Court ruling on illegal outsourcing, and Alan Joyce's departure, since this is the most significant recent chapter in Qantas history and interviewers assume familiarity with it. Know that Vanessa Hudson became CEO in September 2023 with a stated focus on customer trust and internal culture repair. Be ready to speak to Qantas's low-cost subsidiary Jetstar if relevant to your role, and understand the airline's oneworld alliance membership for any commercial or partnerships-focused position.