In June, Qantas Airways Limited canceled more domestic flights than any other airline in Australia. The CEO’s home was hit with eggs and toilet paper in August. And last week, the country’s consumer watchdog organization announced an investigation into the company’s practices.
But the CEO is still getting a quarter million dollar raise.
Alan Joyce, who became CEO of Qantas in 2008, made $5,575,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, according to the company’s recently published annual report. That’s up from $5,288,000 the year before, per the report, and includes an 21% increase to his base salary, alongside more shares in the company.
And not everyone’s happy about it. One Australian senator, Tony Sheldon, told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sept. 9 that the pay package is “offensive as all hell.”
Sheldon, a member of the Australian Labor Party, was formerly a prominent official for the Transport Workers’ Union of Australia. In his comments, he pointed out that major flight disruptions have continued to impact Qantas passengers throughout the summer months and into September.

Last week, Qantas subsidiary Jetstar canceled multiple flights between Bali and Melbourne and Sydney, stranding as many as 4,000 people