Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of requesting free personal flight upgrades directly from the former CEO of national carrier Qantas.
A new book by Australian journalist Joe Aston claims Albanese made several calls to former CEO Alan Joyce and received upgrades on 22 flights taken between 2009 and 2019.
At a news conference Tuesday, Albanese declined to answer whether he had ever spoken to Joyce about the personal upgrades, but said he followed the rules and was “completely transparent” with all his revelations.
Albanese, who was previously federal transport minister, also criticized Aston, saying he was “trying to sell a book”.
In his book, titled The Chairman's Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out, Aston – a former member of the opposition party – quotes Qantas insiders who said Albanian would speak to Joyce about his personal travel plans , according to media reports.
It is not uncommon for Australian politicians to receive free flight upgrades, although they are required to declare such gifts, according to Reuters.
At a news conference Tuesday, Albanese declined to answer whether he had personally spoken to Joyce about the upgrades, but said he remembered having two conversations with Joyce about flights that did not involve personal travel. He also added that some improvements were funded by the Labor Party.
“In my public life, I have acted with integrity, I have acted in a completely appropriate manner and I have reported in accordance with the rules,” he said.
Australia's shadow transport minister, Senator Bridget McKenzie, has called for an inquiry to investigate alleged flight upgrade requests.
“There are serious questions that only Mr Joyce and the Prime Minister can answer,” she said.
The allegation comes as Albanians face low approval ratings and Australians are mired in a housing crisis.
Last year, the Albanian government was accused of blocking Qatar Airways' request to increase its flights to Australia, a move that favored Qantas.
Qantas, Australia's national airline, has had its fair share of scandals in recent years.
Joyce was chief executive for 15 years and led the company through the 2008 global financial crisis, the Covid pandemic and record fuel prices.
However, by the time he resigned in 2023, Qantas was facing growing public anger over high fares, massive delays and cancellations and the treatment of workers.
