Qantas in crisis: Alan Joyce has departed but the airline still has plenty of baggage

The Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, has advised the airline’s board he will quit immediately, bringing forward his retirement by two months. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

News that Alan Joyce was bringing forward his exit as Qantas chief executive acted as a circuit breaker in what had been a wave of negative press for the airline.

After 15 years as chief executive, Joyce had been set to exit at the airline’s AGM in November – part of a carefully planned six-month transition of power to the current chief financial officer, Vanessa Hudson.