Monday's decision follows a December agreement on a compensation fund of A$120 million struck by the airline and the sacked workers. During the pandemic in 2020, Qantas’ senior management decided to lay off 1,820 ground staff and shift their work to contractors.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee has imposed the largest fine on a company under the Fair Work Act for illegally sacking more than 1800 workers.

A judge on Monday fined Qantas Airways 90 million Australian dollars ($59 million) for illegally firing more than 1,800 ground staff at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The penalty is in addition to the AU$120 million ($78 million) in compensation that Australia’s biggest airline had already agreed to pay its former employees.