Qantas cuts CEO and executive bonuses after cyberattack exposed customer data

Qantas has announced the reduction of bonuses for its CEO and executive team by 15%, in the wake of a July 2025 cyberattack that exposed personal data of millions of customers. 

In its annual report for the financial year 2025, published on September 5, 2025, Qantas stated that this reduction amounts to a AU$250,000 (US$162,500) cut for Group CEO Vanessa Hudson. 

“In recognition of the seriousness of the incident, we decided to reduce 2024/25 short term bonuses for the CEO and Executive Management,” Qantas Group Chairman John Mullen said. “This decision demonstrates our commitment to creating a culture of accountability and ownership.” 

In the report, Qantas stated that this “reflects the importance of the security” of its systems and processes, while also acknowledging the need to implement necessary improvements. 

These bonus reductions come against the backdrop of Qantas’ FY25 performance, where the group announced an underlying profit before tax of AU$2.39 billion (US$1.56 billion), alongside “improved operational performance, higher customer satisfaction and employee engagement”. 

Investigation into cyber breach continues 

According to Qantas, the board understands that the investigations into this incident may take some time to complete. However, Qantas said it believes it is “important for both executives and shareholders that the remuneration consequences of this incident be dealt with this year”. 

The cyber incident happened at the end of the financial year, on July 2, 2025, targeting one of Qantas’s call centers and accessing a third-party customer service platform. The airline stated that the breach did not impact flight operations or the safety of the airline and confirmed a week later that no financial data had been compromised. 

However, an analysis of customer information revealed that, out of 5.7 million unique records, approximately four million were exposed, including names, email addresses and Qantas Frequent Flyer details. 

In the report, Qantas once again apologized for the incident and acknowledged the “uncertainty it caused”, stating that management “took immediate steps to contain the incident, strengthen security measures and support customers”. The post Qantas cuts CEO and executive bonuses after cyberattack exposed customer data appeared first on AeroTime.

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