Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has urged staff to tell their local MP that Virgin Australia should not get any more help than other airlines to help it cope with the COVID-19 crisis. Virgin Australia is said to be at risk of collapse if the COVID-19 crisis is prolonged, with Moody’s recently downgrading its credit rating to B3. Joyce contends that Virgin Australia has been badly managed for 10 years, and he has told Qantas employees that they should make it clear to their local MP, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, that they expect all Australian airlines to be treated equally:
“Our response on this one is very clear – we think everyone is entitled to a fair go, and if the government is helping, it should help an industry not a particular company,” Mr Joyce said in a conference call.
“Governments aren’t there to pick winners and losers; governments are definitely not there to support a company that’s been badly managed for ten years, and governments are definitely not there to support a company that’s owned by Singaporeans, Chinese, Abu Dhabi and a British billionaire. They are there to do what’s best for Australia”…
