Qantas’ profit drop is a good sign for Hudson. But new tests loom

Vanessa Hudson is in the middle of one of the greatest juggling acts corporate Australia has seen in a long time. So far, she’s handling it well.

Qantas’ underlying profit before tax fell 18 per cent, or $380 million, to $2.1 billion. But this drop was expected and frankly necessary if Hudson was to walk the talk on striking a better balance between customers, staff and shareholders.