While Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon and CEO Designate Alan Joyce were both guests at the glittering A380 handover event in Toulouse, their absence as “no shows” at the rather less glittering arrival event in Sydney on Sunday morning was very noticeable, especially as the arrival of the A380 is being heralded as the beginning of a new era for the airline.
With the proceedings left in the very capable hands of John Borghetti, Qantas Group General Manager, [pictured right], who was passed over for the top CEO job along with Peter Gregg, Qantas CFO, who has announced his departure from the flying kangaroo this month, it was also noticable that neither the Chairman or any Board members were part of the official party or present at the event.
John Borghetti was joined at the event by other senior Qantas executives, including GM Sales and Distribution Rob Gurney and Group GM Finance, Networking, Operations and Pricing, Gareth Evans, who also announced the prizewinners in a Qantas staff draw of five family trips to Los Angeles on the new A380.
So, what is happening at Qantas and why weren’t the head honchos there?
Who knows, but it if the arrival of the A380 is such a big deal for the future of the airline, then surely it would have deserved all the top dogs being there?
Or maybe not….I suppose it was not a glittering event in Toulouse after all, just a very average event in a hanger in Sydney and there will be another bash shortly when the A380 makes its maiden commercial voyage with all the good and the great most certainly there for the champagne corks popping!
An on location report by The Mole from Sydney International Airport and the arrival of the new Qantas A380.
