Chairman Lim Kim Hai said the result was “truly unprecedented in the airline world” and added the business is looking to acquire another two 737s to expand its fleet of seven.

New official figures back up recent claims by the national carrier and show that 69 per cent of its flights by Qantas and QantasLink arrived on time in September, compared to 68 per cent for Virgin and VARA combined.

The airline said it had achieved the remarkable turnaround by removing $300 million worth of costs and re-contracting more than 450 corporate accounts.

The filing to the Federal Court includes claims that three of the women were subject to “intimate gynaecological examinations” – one of whom was accompanied by her five-month-old son.