Minister Wong’s office confirmed she had discussed the incident, in which 13 Australian women were forced to remove their underwear for invasive genital exams, in a phone call with Qatar’s PM and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Monday.

The five former employees, who are suing the airline over its COVID-19 vaccination policy, told the Federal Court they have been left without legal representation after their previous firm’s alleged misconduct, including negligence and a failure to take instructions.

Critics have argued the decision will both reduce the number of seats for sale into Australia and hinder competition that could bring prices down.

Richard Goyder, who has served as Qantas chair since 2018, told The Australian he is “fully committed” to continuing on and overseeing the transition to new CEO Vanessa Hudson, who was originally to take up the position following November’s AGM.