Virgin Australia captain Deborah Lawrie earned her position in the cockpit by taking legal action in 1979 against Ansett, which had refused to employ female pilots.
As a condition of the deal for Qatar to purchase 25 per cent of Virgin, the domestic carrier pledged to drop its longstanding codeshare with Etihad. The move is likely to hugely damage the UAE carrier, given the tie-up was a major incentive to book.
Virgin Australia captain Deborah Lawrie earned her position in the cockpit by taking legal action in 1979 against Ansett, which had refused to employ female pilots. 
