Qantas CEO’s brilliant reply to 10-year-old’s handwritten letter about starting a rival airline is seriously inspiring

If your business is doing well, the last thing you’d want to respond to is your rivals and competitors. Flourishing on your own, and interacting with another party is not the best professional approach. However, the CEO from Qantas Airlines personally responded to a 10-year-old rival’s letter and it’s one worth checking out. The rival, Alex Jacquot, addressed himself as the CEO of a future airline he'd like to start. His letter to the CEO was not a negative or competitive one but rather an impressive layout of his plans for his airline and a request for insight on the same. 

The letter, addressed to the Qantas CEO, Mr. Alan Joyce AO, written in broken handwriting, was full of passion and determination. “I'm Alex Jacquot, (a 10-year-old boy - take me seriously)” Jacquot wrote confidently. He added that he is aware of preparations and requirements to begin his very own airline - “Oceanra Express.” “I've also hired a CFO, a Head of IT, a Head of Maintenance, a Head Of On Board Services and a Head of Legal as well,” he added. He was sure to mention that he planned this venture with his friend as “co-founders.” “I wanted to write to you because I wanted to ask you three things,” he noted. The boy first mentioned the joy of dedicating extra time to his project with his “school holidays.” “But I can’t think of anything. Do you have any ideas of what I can do? Seeing you’re the CEO of Qantas, I thought I’d ask you,” he wrote.

The second pointer was a request for “tips for starting the airline,” and lastly, Jacquot asked about a specific problem he noticed. “I'm thinking about, as you are, about an A350 For Sydney / Melbourne to London Flights. Seeing it is a 25-hour flight, we are having a lot of trouble thinking about sleep. Do you have any advice?” he questioned. Seeing his enthusiasm and focus, Qantas couldn’t help but forward the note to their CEO, who had an inspiring and enthusiastic reply. “Our competitors don't normally ask us for advice, but when an airline leader reached out, we couldn't ignore it. Naturally, there was only one way to respond: CEO to CEO,” the caption read.

Joyce began, “I had heard some rumors of another entrant in the market, so I appreciate you taking the time to write.” Moving on to the pointers noted, Joyce gave the boy a valid yet inspiring response. The CEO mentioned that advising his competitors is out of the question. “Your newly-appointed Head of Legal might have something to say about that, too. But I'm going to make an exception on this occasion because I too, was once a young boy who was so curious about flight and all its possibilities,” he wrote. Moving on to the tips, Joyce carefully noted, “My number one tip for starting an airline is to put safety front and center. And do everything you can to make travel as comfortable and affordable as possible for your passengers.”

The CEO then pointed out the 25-hour flight and sleep issue that Jacquot thoughtfully penned. He added that it's a problem for their airlines too, considering their new program. “For this reason, I would like to invite you to a Project Sunrise meeting between myself, as the CEO of Australia's oldest airline, and you, as the CEO of Australia's newest airline,” Joyce remarked. In conclusion, the CEO mentioned that the meeting would comprise a “comparison of notes” and an “Operations Center tour,” so Jacquot could “watch Qantas flights wherever they are from all over the world.” Joyce’s reply has certainly accelerated Jacquot’s dream and his provisions in the letter will undoubtedly be a boost for the tiny future CEO!