In the latest instalment of Paint by Numbers, Crikey’s new series about the big issues of the day told via the numbers, we break down the national carrier’s relationship with the public purse in recent years.

What Qantas received in JobKeeper support in 2020: $160.5 million

What Qantas received via the Australian Airline Financial Relief package in 2020: $102 million

What Qantas received via the Domestic Aviation Network Support program, the Regional Airline Network Support program and repatriation flights in 2020: $276 million 

What Qantas received via the International Freight Assistance Mechanism in 2020: $110 million

What Qantas received in JobKeeper support in 2021: $695.5 million

Total government support received by Qantas during 2020-21: $2.7 billion

Total JobKeeper paid back by Australian ASX corporations: $267 million (5.73% of what they received)

Total government support paid back by Qantas: $0

Total JobKeeper that was paid to businesses that did not meet the 30% downturn criteria: $39.9 billion

Amount that ineligble companies were forced by the government to repay in “overpaid” JobKeeper: $0

Total that individual Centrelink recipients were forced by the government to repay in “overpaid” JobKeeper: $32 million

Total job cuts by Qantas during 2020 and 2021: 9,400

Number of those jobs Qantas was found to have illegally outsourced: 1,700

Fine over the standing down of a health and safety worker who directed others to stop cleaning and servicing planes over concerns about the spread of COVID-19: $250,000

Profits posted by Qantas in 2023: $2.47 billion

Alan Joyce’s remuneration from Qantas in 2023, his last full financial year as Qantas CEO: $21.4 million

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder’s pay raise in 2023 (a year when, by his own admission, Qantas suffered a “loss of trust … because our service has often fallen short of expectations”): 14%

The number of flights, according to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation, Qantas continued to sell tickets for after they had been cancelled: 8,000+ 

Possible fine faced by Qantas owing to that ACCC investigation: $600 million

Amount docked from Joyce’s final pay owing to that ACCC investigation: $500,000

Value of the bonus “delayed” from Joyce’s final pay pending the ACCC investigation: $2.2 million 

Joyce’s full remuneration over 15 years in charge of Qantas: $150 million