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Qantas Group receives US$59 million penalty for 2020 outsourcing of ground handlers
August 19th 2025
The Federal Court of Australia has ordered Qantas Airways to pay an A$90 million (US$59 million) penalty for its 2020 unlawful outsourcing of ground handlers. Read More » It was one of the largest penalties imposed by a court in Australian corporate history and follows an A$120 million compensation fund the court ruled Qantas must establish for all impacted former staff. In his judgment, Justice Michael Lee said Qantas was engaged in "performative remorse" rather than genuine contrition for the impact of its actions on those who lost their jobs. "I accept Qantas is sorry, but I am unconvinced this measure of regret is not, at least in significant measure, a result of what the Full Court described as 'the wrong kind of sorry'," Justice Lee said. The Transport Workers Union (TWU), which brought the case to court, will receive A$50 million of the financial penalty, with the recipient of the remaining A$40 million yet to be confirmed. "Against all odds, TWU members have sent an A$90 million warning to corporate Australia: you can’t break the law and get away with it," the union said. Qantas has accepted the court’s decision. "We sincerely apologize to each and every one of the 1,820 ground handling employees and to their families who suffered as a result," Qantas Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson, said.
