Qantas asks managers, executives to do baggage handling amid staff shortages

Qantas senior executives and managers will step down from their usual roles to pitch in as ground handlers. Photo / 123rf

Qantas senior executives and managers will step down from their usual roles to pitch in as ground handlers, as the airline continues to suffer from major staff shortages.

The shake-up is part of an extraordinary contingency program expected to last three months and help the airline get back on its feet before the busy summer holiday period.

While the airline has rehired close to 2000 staff after letting about 1700 ground handlers go during the pandemic, it has struggled to stay on top of baggage, flight delays and cancellations.

Chief operating officer Colin Hughes told staff that during the contingency program, they would be an "embedded resource within the ground handling partners", The Australian reports.

"This means you'll receive a roster, be scheduled to operate and be supervised and managed in the live operations by our ground-handling partners."

Staff participating in the program would be required to sort through and scan bags, and drive airport tugs to carry luggage onto planes and between terminals.

"It's our singular company focus to support our teams to get our operation back to where it should be and provide our passengers the experience they expect from the airline," Mr Hughes said in his note to staff.

A Qantas spokesperson said the measures were introduced as a result of staff shortages caused by flu and Covid, as well as the tight labour market.

"We've been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers' expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves – and that we've been pulling out all stops to improve our performance," they told news.com.au.

"As we have done in the past during busy periods, around 200 head office staff have helped at airports during peak travel periods since Easter.

"While we manage the impacts of a record flu season and ongoing Covid cases coupled with the tightest labour market in decades, we're continuing that contingency planning across our airport operations for the next three months."

Qantas is filing an appeal in the High Court after the Federal Court found it was in breach of the Fair Work Act for sacking almost 2000 staff during the pandemic.

It has yet to fully staff its operations since domestic and international travel resumed following the Covid shutdown period.

Qantas' reputation has suffered immensely in recent months with furious customers complaining about delayed and cancelled flights, missing luggage and extreme customer service wait times.