The Flying Kangaroo now says the disruption later caused by the Delta strain of COVID would have meant it would have had no choice but to let 1700 ground handlers go anyway, after they were made redundant earlier in the pandemic.
It comes after reports revealed taxpayers will pay $450m for the two new Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) because the cost of leasing replacements for 12 years rose from $372m to $550m, making an outright purchase more affordable.