Former general manager of flight operations launches Federal Court lawsuit, company 'vigorously' denies wrongdoing
Jayne Hrdlicka, the Virgin Australia CEO, has been accused of bullying a senior pilot.
A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed that captain Michael Fitzgerald, former general manager of flight operations and chief pilot, launched Federal Court action on Tuesday. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, Fitzgerald was terminated after a period of extended personal leave.
In a statement, the spokeswoman denied all allegations and said Virgin Australia would be “vigorously defending the matter”. She added that the company believed the pilot had been treated fairly and that the allegations had been investigated by an external party and “not substantiated”.
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Prior to Fitzgerald leaving, Virgin Australia said it had supported him for a period of paid absence from the business of more than seven months. During this absence, the spokeswoman said the airline had discussed options for him to return to work. Fitzgerald’s employment was eventually terminated following “multiple independent assessments of his fitness to work”.
“Virgin Australia unequivocally denies all allegations made by Mr Fitzgerald and will be vigorously defending the matter,” the spokeswoman said, with the company claiming the pilot only met with the CEO on a one-on-one basis twice, as part of a professional development initiative to support the improvement of his performance.
The company added: “At Virgin Australia, our people are at the centre of everything we do. We work hard to accommodate employees to manage physical and mental health challenges.”
