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Qantas’s perceived disconnect from embedding ethical governance and stakeholder engagement within its comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework presents an opportunity.  By doing so, the airline could ensure a thorough assessment and management of all aspects of its operations from flight safety to financial stability.

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A success story from Qantas has been its approach to operational risk management considering all aspects from flight safety to financial stability. However, this success was overshadowed by various controversies, including labour practices, executive remuneration, COVID responses and handling of complaints and refunds attracting significant stakeholder attention.  The lessons learnt from this are that if an organisation does not adequately consider all its areas of risk and implement adequate approaches in an integrated coordinated manner, then successes in some areas can be undermined by weakness in others

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To rebuild trust, Qantas needs to treat labour relations and customer fairness as governance priorities, not just operational variables. This means greater transparency during crises, genuine worker consultation before structural changes, and more accountable customer service practices.

The broader lesson is that ethical governance and risk management are not competing priorities — organisations that separate them remain exposed to reputational risks that no ERM framework can easily repair after the fact.

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Qantas' use of AI and data analytics to predict maintenance needs before they cause disruptions has been central to its safety reputation. The airline takes a proactive rather than reactive approach to operational risk, all embedded within a broader ERM framework. Also integrating safety into an enterprise-wide strategy ensures risk considerations inform decisions at every level, and that technology investment translates directly into operational resilience.

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No one wants QANTAS to forego their robust practices around safety, but if the culture is about what employees do when you're not looking, the last person you want on the ground crew is a frustrated one. A similarity between some the case studies in this course is their transparency. In order for QANTAS to rebuild trust is to be clear about their ongoing integrity, transparency, accountability, and fairness, by using the fundamentals of ESG reporting, starting with their social license. Being the national carrier doesn't mean you can stop listening.

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Up until recently, QANTAS had an accepted and culturally applauded reputation as the safest airline on the world. It is not possible for that reputation to be true without robust Operational Risk Management strategies being in place, in particular around people, technology, and processes. Even though that came with a price tag per ticket which, given the consequences of not being safe, has contributed to customers being very loyal, and long-term positive financial outcomes.

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Q2. Considering the recent controversies surrounding Qantas, including labour disputes and customer service challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, how can the airline balance effective risk management with ethical governance to rebuild stakeholder trust? Rebuilding trust will require, at a minimum:

- accountability (Qantas to publicly 'own up' to the mistakes made, and show any corrective measures taken - this message needs to be carried both by its Board as well as the Executive Team)

- transparency (Qantas to very clearly communicate the plan to address the challenges)

- remediation (Qantas to show progress against any remedial programs put in place to address the challenges that led to the breach in trust).

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Q1. How has Qantas' approach to operational risk management, particularly in safety and predictive maintenance, contributed to its reputation for safety and operational continuity, and what lessons can be drawn from its methods?

By investing in advanced technology supported by (frequently tested) risk processes and controls, Qantas is consistently on the leaderboard for being one of the safest global airlines. If a need for maintenance can be flagged early, this will support operational continuity. A clear lesson from this is: investing (early) in prudent safety measures will - in the short term - reduce operational risks, while having longer-term positive financial outcomes for the organisation.

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Qantas can balance effective risk management with ethical governance to rebuild stakeholder trust by investing in reinforced trust. Despite ongoing controversy, Qantas will need to consider what their customers value and invest time and resources into understanding and meeting their needs, on top of their commitment to enhanced safety and operational continuity.

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Qantas' approach to operational risk management, particularly in safety and predictive maintenance, contributed to its reputation for safety and operational continuity, allowing it to have the reputation as being one of the world's safest airlines. Through a commitment to risk management, the airline has successfully invested in advanced data analytics and predictive technology to generate insights in relation to their safety and maintenance.

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Qantas can (work to) win back trust by making sure it treats people fairly and runs its business responsibly. That means being honest about decisions, improving how it treats workers and customers, and making sure its actions are good for people, the planet, and the business.

This kind of approach helps avoid problems and keeps the company strong in the long run. As a project delivery professional, I see ESG integration as key to balancing performance with accountability—essential for long-term trust and sustainable success.

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In my view, by Qantas integrating smart tech into risk practices - this drives resilience and keeps critical operations running smoothly.

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Qantas can balance effective risk management with ethical governance to rebuild stakeholder trust in many ways, including: 1. Embed ESG into its ERM systems (covering people and performance, conduct and compliance controls and actions), 2. Consider including ESG as a component of executive KPI/incentive payment, 3. Review risk appetite statement and consider reprioritisation of risks supporting stakeholder trust, 4. Increased transparency of how it is managing ESG aspect i.e. through ESG reporting to investors, employees and other stakeholders.

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Qantas has a good reputation as a safe airline. To maintain this important branding they have embedded a strong safety culture across the organisation that has continous safety trauning, proactive hazard identification and reporting and strict adherence to international safety standards. A key part of this is their advanced data analytics and AI predictive maintenece systems. It uses real-time monitoring of aircraft health to pre-empt any issues. They also conduct regular risk scenarios and crisis simulations. While not every business can utilise technology to this extent, they can replicate the safety first aspects and culture of accountability, and they can ensure that they continuously evaluate risks and not just do it once as a set and forget exercise.