In a statement, the Flying Kangaroo apologised for the personal impact of the sackings and accepted the High Court’s verdict, but maintained that the “restructuring” of its business was necessary for its survival.

The Flying Kangaroo’s appeal was unanimously dismissed by the High Court on Wednesday, prompting the union to call for a spill of the Board, including Chairman Richard Goyder, to be replaced by new directors including a workers’ representative.

Qantas’s last-ditch bid follows a 2021 ruling that it had illegally sacked 1,683 workers in 2020–21 to head off industrial action, which was upheld last year by the Full Federal Court. The airline has argued that the workers did not have the right to take protected industrial action (PIA) at the time.

The government is seeking submissions on consumer issues following last week’s release of the Aviation Green Paper, which noted rising complaints about the aviation sector as well as barriers to travel for passengers with disabilities.