Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has defended his handling of the airline during the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing he kept the company afloat despite the crisis wiping out air travel, and has also defended the sale of so-called "ghost flights" that drew widespread criticism. The comments come as Joyce reflects on his tenure, which was marked by controversy even as he credits himself with steering Qantas through one of its most difficult periods, a defence likely to reignite debate given the taxpayer support the airline received and the reputational damage the ghost flights scandal caused.

Qantas received a substantial government bailout to survive the pandemic, and Joyce has pointed to this period as evidence of his crisis management, despite the airline later admitting it had sold tickets for flights it knew were already cancelled — the so-called "ghost flights" affair that led to regulatory scrutiny and a significant penalty. Joyce, who stepped down as Qantas CEO under pressure amid a string of controversies including the ghost flights row, is using the retrospective to defend decisions made during an extraordinary period for the aviation industry.