A well written auto biography of Qantas’ and JetStar’s controversial CEO, Alan Joyce.

Author:	Alan Joyce
Publisher:	Collingwood, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books, 2026.
ISBN:	9781761452277 1761452274
Characteristics:	436 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates: illustrations, portraits; 24 cm.
Source:	Yarra Plenty Library Service
Date Read:	21-Aug-2026

He goes through his education which was interesting to learn about, and it would be good template for anyone interested in business management. Topics include queue theory, yield curves, statistics and probability. These were used optimise aircraft usage by predicting how many passengers wouldn’t show up thereby allowing flights to be overbooked.

Joyce’s biography starts from his upbringing in Ireland where he excelled at maths and learnt programming on an early home computer called the Acorn Electron.

Joyce is most unliked by Qantas employees due to his ruthless downsizing whilst encouraging them to do their best. When you learn that he was with an airline that collapsed and he was desperate to not let it happen on his watch, his actions become easier to understand.

Being gay he was at the forefront of pushing for gay marriage in Australia, and quite some time is spent on his involvement.

And he looked after his mother by acquiring a house, breaking her lifetime of renting and poverty. This was a nice touch to the tale.

Conclusion

Riding The Jet Stream was an interesting read, as it’s always a worthwhile learning about how successful people got to where they are. In Joyce’s case it was hard work and determination, and his natural talent in maths helped considerably too.

Featured Image: Josh Withers

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Early Life & Education (1966–1988)

• 1966 — Born in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland.
• Attended St Mark’s Community School, then completed a BSc in Applied Science and MS in Management Science at Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin.

Aer Lingus (1988–1996)

• 1988 — Began aviation career at Aer Lingus as a graduate trainee. Worked across sales, marketing, IT, network planning, operations research, revenue management, and fleet planning.

Ansett Australia (1996–2000)

• 1996 — Moved to Australia to join Ansett Australia in network planning and operations. Experience during Ansett’s decline shaped his understanding of airline economics.

Qantas – Early Roles (2000–2003)

• 2000 — Joined Qantas as Head of Network Planning. Later led Network Strategy, Schedules Planning, and Network Planning functions.

Jetstar CEO (2003–2008)

• October 2003 — Appointed CEO of Jetstar, Qantas’ low‑cost subsidiary. Also served as director for Jetstar Asia, Valuair, and Jetstar Pacific.

Qantas CEO (2008–2023)

A 15‑year tenure marked by major restructures, crises, and turnarounds.

2008

• 28 November — Becomes CEO of Qantas, succeeding Geoff Dixon.

2009

• Cuts 1,750 jobs due to the global financial crisis.

2010

• Grounds the Airbus A380 fleet after a serious engine incident in Singapore.

2011

• Announces major restructuring; industrial action leads to unprecedented grounding of the entire Qantas fleet. Testifies at Senate inquiry on airline safety.

2013

• Calls for government support amid heavy losses and competition with Virgin Australia.

2014

• Reports a $2.8 billion loss, launches a major “transformation plan.”

2016

• Delivers record profits and reinstates shareholder dividends for the first time since 2009.

2017

• Appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for service to aviation and tourism.

2019

• Renews contract for three more years.

2020

• COVID‑19 impact: Qantas cuts 8,500 jobs, grounds most aircraft, retires Boeing 747 fleet.

2022

• Announces multi‑billion‑dollar Airbus order and plans for non‑stop Sydney–London flights starting 2025.
• Issues compensation to frequent flyers after operational disruptions.

2023

• Qantas posts record first‑half profit.
• May 2023 — Announces he will step aside in November; Vanessa Hudson named successor.
• September 2023 — Resigns earlier than planned amid public and regulatory pressure (widely reported; inferred from timeline context).

Advocacy & Public Profile

• Prominent advocate for marriage equality during Australia’s 2017 referendum.

Further Reading