Qantas Received a Fine for Illegal Dismissals During the Pandemic

• Qantas was fined 90 million Australian dollars for illegal dismissals.
• The court found that the airline's actions represented the largest violation of labor legislation.
• The union receives 50 million dollars from the imposed fine.

The Australian airline Qantas was fined 90 million Australian dollars (approximately 59 million US dollars) for illegal dismissals of over 1,800 employees at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This decision was upheld by the court on September 18, 2025.

Federal Court Judge Michael Lee stated that the airline's actions in 2020 constituted the largest violation of labor legislation in the history of the country. The executive director of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, admitted that the dismissals caused serious hardships for the affected employees and their families.

In addition to the fine, Qantas also agreed to pay 120 million Australian dollars in compensation to its former employees, following the court's dismissal of several appeals by the airline. 50 million from this fine will be paid to the transport union that filed the lawsuit against Qantas.

Judge Lee emphasized that this fine should serve as a real deterrent for other employers. Union leader Michael Kaine called this decision a significant achievement in the fight for workers' rights.

Tags: Aviation