Qantas to stand firm

QANTAS chief Alan Joyce has vowed the airline will continue to campaign on social issues, saying its stance has been vindicated by strong public support.

Mr Joyce led the airline’s highly visible promotion of same sex marriage during the 2017 plebiscite and says Qantas’ brand is stronger than it has ever been, a testament his public position worked for the company.

“What you see in any ... surveys that have been done on trust, is people want strong leadership and authentic leadership, whether it’s in business, in politics, in all forms of life,” Mr Joyce said at the International Society of Women Airline Pilots conference in Sydney.

Where other brands have gone backwards, “we’ve seen our brand improve in the last few years, supporting marriage equality, supporting gender equality and indigenous rights,” he said.