October 28, 2026 — Hundreds of Qantas Group ground workers walked off the job today for a 24-hour strike at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth airports, the latest round of action in a pay dispute led by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).
What happened
The TWU gave notice of the further 24-hour stoppage on October 23. The workers are spread across three Qantas subsidiaries — Qantas Airways Limited (QAL), Qantas Ground Services (QGS) and Australian Air Express (AAE) — and handle freight, including for Australia Post, as well as supporting QantasLink passenger operations in Sydney.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 |
| Duration | 24 hours (start and end times TBA) |
| Airports | Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth |
| Union | Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) |
| Workers | “Hundreds” (exact number not published) |
| Further strike dates | TBA |
What the union wants
- Pay in line with industry standards
- More full-time jobs and guaranteed working hours
- Bringing the workforce back under a single Qantas employer
- Safety improvements following the death of a Qantas Freight worker on Father’s Day 2025 (a SafeWork investigation is ongoing)
What Qantas says
Qantas has said it does not expect disruption and has “strong contingency plans in place.” The airline says these workers do not handle Qantas Domestic or International flights, or QantasLink flights outside Sydney. It has offered QGS staff an agreement with pay rises of up to 26% over its life, plus back pay to September 2025. As of Wednesday morning in Australia, Travel Weekly reported that the extent of any passenger or freight disruption had not been confirmed.
What it means for non-revs
- Mainline flights: Qantas says the striking workers do not handle its domestic or international flights, so standby travel on Qantas mainline should be largely unaffected today.
- QantasLink out of Sydney is the exposed piece. If you are listing on a QantasLink flight from Sydney today, check the flight status and loads shortly before heading to the airport.
- Knock-on effects: If any flights are delayed or cancelled, paying passengers are rebooked first, which can quickly fill later flights on the same route.
- More action is possible: The TWU describes this as continuing action and no settlement has been announced. Watch for new strike notices before planning Australian domestic trips; future dates are TBA.
Sources
- Travel Weekly (Australia): Hundreds of Qantas ground workers strike across five major Australian airports
- Aerocorner: Virgin Australia Cabin Crew Move Toward a Strike Vote as Qantas Ground Workers Walk Out Wednesday
- Transport Workers’ Union: Qantas ground workers take further 24-hour strikes against airline’s Joyce-era tactics
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