Qantas shares hit a record high of $8.03 on Friday morning - up from $4.71 last year - after the airline offered a market update saying trading for the December half-year continued to be in line with expectations.

It said Jetstar’s domestic business was outperforming due to stronger-than-anticipated demand.

But not all investors were happy, with more than 14 per cent of shares voted before the meeting landing against the company’s remuneration report, which accounted for the reduced bonuses for former chief executive like Alan Joyce, and docked pay for board members. However, it was not enough to register a second strike and trigger a spill of the entire board.

Meanwhile, the Electrical Trades Union said hundreds of Qantas engineers were stepping up industrial action across all major Australian airports on Friday, saying workers’ calls for fair pay had been ignored.

“Around 600 line maintenance engineers, responsible for critical tasks like towing and marshalling aircraft and conducting final safety checks before departure, will down tools for two four-hour stoppages across airports including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart,” the union said.

Qantas said it expected customers would not be affected by planned industrial action.

“We are aware of the industrial action planned by some of our engineering work groups on Friday,” a Qantas spokesman said. “Our teams have worked hard to put contingencies in place and we expect there to be no impact to our customers.

Qantas is trying to present a fresh front to customers, investors and regulators after the exits of former CEO Joyce last year and chairman Richard Goyder before the AGM.

Mullen thanked Joyce and Goyder for their efforts, despite the controversies they oversaw.

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“While it is understandable that attention has focused on the unfortunate events of the last year or so, I think it appropriate that I thank both Richard Goyder and Alan Joyce for their tenure and great contributions to the airline,” Mullen said.

“Let us not forget that Alan was CEO for 15 years, and in that time delivered many years of exceptional results to the benefit of shareholders and other stakeholders, and Richard and Alan steered Qantas through the dark and difficult days of COVID during which, without their leadership, Qantas might well have not survived and we might not all be here today.”

A scathing report in August by former McKinsey partner Tom Saar found that the board under Goyder’s reign had failed to challenge Joyce and his “command and control” leadership.

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