‘I know I’m a polarising figure’: Alan Joyce on Qantas, reputational collapse and his legacy
Jul 27, 2026 •
Alan Joyce was once one of Australia’s most admired business leaders.
By the time he left Qantas, he had become one of the country’s most hated men.
His final years at the airline were marked by unlawful sackings, cancelled flights, withheld refunds and a collapse in public trust. But in a new memoir, Riding the Jet Stream, Joyce defends many of the decisions that made him a symbol of corporate arrogance and public distrust.
Today, former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, on what he believes Australians got wrong about him – and whether he accepts responsibility for the damage done to the Qantas brand on his watch.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
‘I know I’m a polarising figure’: Alan Joyce on Qantas, reputational collapse and his legacy
1995 • Jul 27, 2026
‘I know I’m a polarising figure’: Alan Joyce on Qantas, reputational collapse and his legacy
Alan Joyce was once one of Australia’s most admired business leaders.
By the time he left Qantas, he had become one of the country’s most hated men.
His final years at the airline were marked by unlawful sackings, cancelled flights, withheld refunds and a collapse in public trust. But in a new memoir, Riding the Jet Stream, Joyce defends many of the decisions that made him a symbol of corporate arrogance and public distrust.
Today, former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, on what he believes Australians got wrong about him – and whether he accepts responsibility for the damage done to the Qantas brand on his watch.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
Guest: Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce
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7am is a daily show from Solstice Media.
It’s made by Arielle Richards, Atticus Bastow, Chris Dengate, Daniel James, Krystal Keller, Ranee Orklin, Ruby Jones, Travis Evans and Zoltan Fecso.
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