Qantas: Alan Joyce breaks silence at Sydney aviation conference
A crowd of more than 200 aviation company executives and airline employees packed the Ilumina conference room as Mr Joyce delivered a 45-minute speech reflecting on his 36 years in the industry.
Looking happy and relaxed in a blue suit and dark shirt, Mr Joyce opened with a joke about making the front page of The Australian on Thursday, saying it was great for two reasons.
Firstly, he said, it highlighted the importance of aviation and, secondly, it meant 'Donald Trump hadn't done anything weird overnight'.
'It's great that I'm no longer head of the national carrier and I can make jokes like that without worrying about F-16s turning around Qantas aircraft,' he said.
Much of his speech touched on his experiences at Qantas in a positive light, and he resumed his advocacy for a sustainable aviation fuel industry, and the need for better pathways for the next generation of pilots, technicians and cabin crew.
He spoke of the airline industry's commitment to safety, pointing out that since jet travel began in 1959 fewer than 37,000 people had died in commercial aircraft crashes worldwide, yet every year 1.3 million people died in road accidents.
'When a plane diverts, it makes international news. Because our standard isn't 'better than cars'. It's as close to perfect as possible,' Mr Joyce said.
'We don't hide mistakes: we learn and share. This culture of continuous learning is what makes aviation safety exceptional.'
He warned the nature of risks facing airlines were changing, saying mental health, supply chain shocks and climate were among the biggest threats.
Mr Joyce said extreme weather was no longer seasonal, it was structural, and more crosswinds, higher-density altitudes and faster storms were changing flight operations in real time.
'Safety systems must now integrate climate intelligence. Pilots and dispatchers must expect the unexpected,' he told the spellbound crowd.
'At Sydney Airport, single-runway operations due to crosswinds used to be rare. In 2014, they happened only a few days a year. By 2024, nearly 40 days. It's a trend driven by more frequent westerlies.'
He also tackled the subject of artificial intelligence, pointing out how Qantas and other airlines were using the tool for predictive maintenance to flag issues with aircraft components before they occurred, as well as for flight planning.
But, Mr Joyce said there was a greater role for AI in the customer experience, and turning flashpoints such as delays, missed connections and lost bags into 'opportunities'.
'But there's a risk: as smart assistants manage more of the journey, airlines could fade into
the background. If airlines don't own the customer interface in the age of AI, someone else
will, and we'll become just the plumbing behind the platform,' he said.
'To avoid becoming invisible, airlines must use AI not just for efficiency but to deliver
transparent, human-centred experiences.'
After wrapping up his speech to a round of applause, Mr Joyce made a quick beeline for the exit, not hanging around to network with the aviation-heavy crowd.
Asked how he thought Qantas was going under CEO Vanessa Hudson, Mr Joyce declined to answer.
'I'm only going to talk about what was said in the presentation today,' he said, ignoring questions about the board's decision to slash his entitlements by $9.3m.
He confirmed he was keen to remain a part of the aviation industry but would not provide further details on where or in what capacity.
Mr Joyce left Qantas in September 2023 after a turbulent period that saw the airline unlawfully sack 1800 ground workers and sell thousands of tickets on already cancelled flights.
To date, those two matters have cost the company $240m, with Qantas yet to learn of its penalty for the unlawful outsourcing.
Federal Court judge Michael Lee will deliver his decision on Monday, with the Transport Workers Union seeking the maximum fine of $121m.
Originally published as Alan Joyce at home in the limelight as he hints at a return to the aviation industry
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