Australian carrier Qantas has started operating a limited schedule, following a weekend of disruptions due to an ongoing industrial dispute.
The airline's CEO Alan Joyce took the decision to ground all of Qantas' aircraft from Saturday (October 29).
Joyce took the drastic measure under the Australian Fair Work Act, after a series of strikes by Qantas staff cost the airline some $68 million.
Some 70,000 passengers have been affected since the dispute began, said Qantas, and more than 600 flights cancelled.
The Australian government intervened today (October 31), forcing those on strike to return to work.
There will now be 21 days of negotiations, during which time no industrial action can take place.
Joyce said the decision would provide certainty: “Operations will resume progressively... Our focus is bringing our schedule back to normal as soon as possible.
“The industrial process has now passed into the hands of the independent umpire. All parties will be treated equally and we will respect the decisions that are made.”