The 2025 Qantas Annual Shareholder Meeting opened with a nostalgic tour to the airline’s beginnings in Brisbane. CEO Vanessa Hudson, while speaking, reminded the audience of the city’s past significant involvement in Qantas’ worldwide story. She pointed out that Qantas started the first international passenger route from Brisbane to Singapore in April 1935. The flight, which was done with a de Havilland DH86 plane, had a total of five people: two passengers and three crew members and took three and a half days with 16 stops along the way.
Hudson highlighted the significance of the return trip to Brisbane, a city where more than 250 international Qantas and Jetstar flights and over 1800 domestic flights are operated weekly. The company has shown its commitment to Brisbane by not only maintaining its historical presence but also investing in the future of Queensland.
Qantas CEO recalls Brisbane’s historic role at 2025 shareholder meeting.
How Has Qantas Expanded Its Network In The Past Year?
At the Qantas 2025 Annual General Meeting, CEO Hudson mentioned that the last 12 months have been a year of strategic growth for the company. Qantas International inaugurated three new routes from Brisbane to Vanuatu, Manila, and Palau. Jetstar opened a new Bangkok-Bangkok service from Brisbane, which makes the Asia-Pacific connectivity of the Group even stronger.
Hudson remarked that the airline sees more chances to increase its presence in Queensland, which is indicative of the continuing investment in international and regional connectivity. By conducting the AGM in Brisbane, Qantas demonstrated its commitment to the city as a key player in its future operations and thereby recognised Brisbane’s significance in the Qantas operational map.
What Did Vanessa Hudson Say About Qantas Employees?
Hudson first recognised Qantas’ workers before discussing the financial results. She was speaking of their daily dedication, professionalism, and passion for customers and suggested that this was the case every day.
She pointed out that she frequently went to the crew rooms, hangars, and corporate offices, where she got to see the true pride the employees had in their jobs. Hudson considered their hard work as the basis of the company’s success and stated that their loyalty is a key factor in Qantas’ victories in all sectors.
The emphasis she placed on employees’ appreciation was a signal of a personality who, like Qantas, had an established culture of excellent service, believed in human connection and collaboration and had therefore adopted the same leadership style as Qantas.
Hudson praised Qantas staff for daily dedication and unwavering customer commitment.
Qantas Delivers Strong Financial Results
In her speech, Hudson assured that the Group’s financial performance was once again excellent over the past year. She credited the profitability increase to the integrated portfolio of Qantas, Jetstar and Loyalty. This arrangement made it possible for the airline to not only renew its fleet and invest in customer service but also to control its revenue streams.
This year’s Qantas financial results and sustainability update 2025 were a clear reminder of the impact that strong travel demand and improved operations had on Qantas’ profitability being maintained. Hudson pointed out that the ability of the Group to produce returns has set it in a good position for future investments and for the creation of shareholder value.
Operational Improvements And Customer Satisfaction
Another key point of the Qantas 2025 AGM CEO speech was operational reliability. Hudson pointed out that Qantas and Jetstar both recorded their highest on-time performance since 2019. Moreover, Qantas was recognised again as the most punctual major domestic airline in Australia.
Customer satisfaction, according to Hudson, improved almost uniformly in all the important metrics. He explained that the main reasons for this upgrade were more efficient operations, new aircraft deliveries, and better staff engagement. These changes have made Qantas more popular in terms of service reliability and efficiency.
Hudson highlighted record on-time performance for Qantas and Jetstar since 2019.
A Vision Grounded In Legacy And Growth
Hudson’s communication to the stockholders was unambiguous, Qantas had the strength of its people, the diversity of its business model, and the pride of its history as its main sources of strength. Qantas, with its 90-year-old legacy in Brisbane and state-of-the-art operations of today, keeps proving its resilience and adaptability.
The CEO’s attitude expressed thankfulness, and at the same time, it was very positive that the airline was positioned to grow sustainably while still winning over the customer trust and the confidence of the shareholders.
Also Read: Qantas Unveils Ground Status Credits: Earn Up To 110 Without Flying
FAQs
Q1. When and where was the Qantas 2025 AGM held?
The Qantas 2025 Annual General Meeting took place in Brisbane on November 7, 2025.
Q2. What were the key Qantas shareholder meeting 2025 highlights?
Among the main points were the financial increase, opening up of new international routes, an excellent record of timely departures and arrivals, and recognition of the staff.
Q3. How many new international routes did Qantas open from Brisbane?
Three routes to Vanuatu, Manila, and Palau were opened by Qantas, while Jetstar added a Bangkok service.
Q4. What did Vanessa Hudson highlight in her CEO speech?
She highlighted the commitment of the staff, the excellence of the operations, and the company’s continuing commitment to the development of Queensland.
