A former Air New Zealand executive is to spearhead the launch of ultra long-haul flights by Qantas.
Cameron Wallace, who was chief commercial and customer officer at the New Zealand flag carrier until 2020, is joining Qantas as chief executive of its international division.
He will be responsible for returning international capacity to above pre-Covid levels as well as overseeing preparations for Project Sunrise non-stop flights to Sydney from London and New York in late 2025.
The Australian carrier combined its domestic and international arms during the pandemic under chief executive Andrew David, who is to retire from the group in September.
However, two separate divisions are being recreated from July 1, with Wallace taking charge of the international arm and David heading domestic operations until his departure. Qantas is recruiting for a successor to oversee the domestic business.
The return of the two separate units “will provide the management bandwidth required as each business welcomes new aircraft and expands its network,” accord to Qantas.
Group chief executive Alan Joyce said: “At the start of the pandemic, we rationalised the two CEO roles for Qantas domestic and Qantas international down to one given what was happening to our business
“With Andrew retiring and given the amount of investment now in the pipeline, it makes sense to again have separate CEOs for the international and domestic businesses, which are both back to generating billions in revenue each year.
“Andrew has contributed a huge amount during his 10 years across both Qantas and Jetstar. His leadership of Qantas’ domestic, international and freight businesses has been pivotal, especially during the incredible challenge of putting the airline into hibernation and bringing it back again.
“The Qantas Group has always been able to attract top talent and Cam Wallace is one of the best airline executives in the region. He brings over two decades of airline experience including his long career at Air New Zealand, with responsibilities spanning sales, revenue management, market development, alliances and cargo.”
Wallace added: “It’s an honour to be joining Qantas, especially at a time when it’s investing so heavily in aircraft and service. It’s the world leader in opening up direct international routes, and Project Sunrise is one of the most exciting things happening in aviation.”
The disclosure came just days after the airline unveiled premium cabins for Airbus A350s to be deployed on the extended range routes as Qantas announced a return to profit following three years of pandemic era losses.
Qantas began direct flights between London and Perth in 2018.