Qantas Strike Threatens Australian Freight Disruption

18 September 2026

Executive Summary

Hundreds of Qantas ground workers responsible for freight handling and regional aviation services are planning 24-hour strikes across Australia next week, creating potential disruption to domestic cargo and time-sensitive supply chains.

The Transport Workers Union announced on Friday that industrial action is planned for:

• Wednesday in Victoria.
• Thursday across the remainder of Australia.

The employees work for Qantas Ground Services and handle freight as well as QantasLink regional flights.

The union has specifically warned that freight movements, including Australia Post shipments, could be disrupted.

Qantas says it remains committed to reaching an agreement with employees that includes annual pay increases.

The industrial action has therefore been announced but has not yet taken place, and the eventual operational impact remains uncertain.

Nevertheless, businesses moving urgent cargo through Australia now have advance notice of a potential disruption.

UK Impact

UK businesses exporting to or importing from Australia should identify time-sensitive shipments scheduled around the industrial action.

Potentially exposed cargo could include:

• Pharmaceuticals.
• Medical equipment.
• Electronics.
• Replacement components.
• E-commerce parcels.
• High-value goods.
• Perishable products.
• Express documents.

The principal risk is likely to be delay rather than prolonged loss of transport capacity.

But short interruptions can become significant where supply chains operate with little inventory.

Global Impact

Australia’s geography makes aviation particularly important for both domestic passenger movements and time-sensitive freight.

Goods arriving internationally may still depend upon domestic air networks for final distribution.

A shipment can therefore reach Sydney, Melbourne or another gateway successfully and still be delayed during onward transport.

Industrial action can also create secondary effects through:

• Backlogs.
• Warehouse congestion.
• Missed connections.
• Rebooking.
• Higher express-freight costs.
• Increased road transport demand.

The effects may therefore continue beyond the actual 24-hour strike periods.

Our View

The advance warning gives businesses an opportunity to mitigate the disruption.

Companies should ask:

• Do we have Australian shipments scheduled next week?
• Which carrier handles the domestic leg?
• Does Qantas Ground Services handle the freight?
• Can shipments be dispatched earlier?
• Can another airline be used?
• Could urgent goods move by road?
• Are perishable products exposed?
• Are temperature-controlled shipments protected during delay?
• Could customs clearance create additional timing pressure?
• Are customers being warned?
• Could contractual delivery dates be affected?
• Is additional local inventory available?
• Could shipments be consolidated before the strike?
• Are critical spare parts already positioned?
• Does cargo insurance respond to delay-related loss?

Industrial action is one of the supply-chain risks businesses can often manage precisely because it is announced in advance.

The cheapest contingency is usually the one activated before the disruption begins.

Risk Indicator: ELEVATED – AUSTRALIA, AIR FREIGHT & INDUSTRIAL ACTION

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Disclaimer

The information contained within these Market Alerts is provided for general market awareness and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, investment, regulatory or insurance advice. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication using multiple reputable and independently verified sources, geopolitical events, legislation, regulation and market conditions may change rapidly. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice before acting upon any information contained herein.

Invictus Risk Solutions LLP – Helping organisations stay ahead of emerging risks through informed insight and independent analysis.