A 24-hour industrial action at Qantas subsidiary companies affected four major Australian airports on September 24. Employees in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth ceased work. According to union statements, the action was over higher wages, safer working conditions and improved safety standards.
Staff members from Qantas Ground Services, Australian air Express and partially QantasLink were involved. Australian air Express operates in the cargo and express segment. Therefore, the strike was not only a passenger issue. Ground handling, sorting, handover and ramp processes could also run more slowly.
Although a one-day strike ends after 24 hours, the backlog can persist longer. Missed flights, unloaded cargo units and rebooked shipments must be processed subsequently. This is particularly critical for perishable goods or spare parts.
For international freight forwarders, the long distance adds another challenge. A missed connection within Australia can also result in missing a transcontinental flight. Shipment tracking and direct communication with the airline or handling agent therefore remain important.
For express cargo, rerouting via Melbourne can help, but causes additional domestic transportation. Whether this is faster must be calculated individually for each shipment.