Alan Joyce tells disgruntled anti-vaxxer to ‘f*** off’ after he ambushed Qantas CEO on the streets

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has been ambushed on the streets of Sydney by a disgruntled anti-vaxxer who said he was a ‘larp’ and a ‘disgrace’ for putting a vaccine mandate on his staff during the height of the Covid pandemic.

Pro-Putin campaigner Simun Boikov was all smiles as he greeted Mr Joyce and asked if they could take a photo as they walked side by side down George Street.

Mr. Joyce puts his arm around the outspoken anti-vaxxer and laughs at the photo, but the mood quickly sours when Mr. Boikov confronts the Qantas boss about the company’s vaccine mandates, capturing the moment on video.

Mr Boikov, also known as the Aussie Cossack, told the CEO he was a ‘larva’ and a disgrace for introducing a vaccine mandate for Qantas staff, which also applied to Jetstar, in August 2021.

“You stopped your workers from working. You discriminate on medical grounds. You discriminate against the unvaccinated,” Mr. Boikov tells him.

‘Do you enjoy doing this? Do you like bullying people?’ Mr Joyce responds.

“I don’t attack people. You pick people up. I’m calling you out my friend,’ the Aussie Cossack replies.

Mr. Joyce tells him ‘p*ss off’ and starts walking faster down the city street.

Mr. Boikov warns him that the clip will be uploaded to his YouTube channel and asks if this is how he treats people who complain.

‘Go for it. It’s a shame that you bother someone who is just walking down the street,” the CEO replies.

“You’re not someone, you’re a larva,” says Mr. Boikov.

‘Oh f**k off,’ replies an annoyed Mr. Joyce.

Viewers were quick to lend their support to the Qantas CEO in the comments.

“Good on you Alan, you just earned my respect,” one person wrote.

“He’s a CEO, let him go, he has a job to do like everyone else,” said another.

“Well said Alan Joyce, more people should tell him the same!” shared a third.

‘Alan Joyce won the Pub Test,’ commented a fourth.

Mr Boikov, who has become known for his wild online antics, was jailed in June for violating court orders for naming an alleged pedophile at an anti-vaxxer rally.

In a video taken when he was paroled in September, he said, “I’m not going to quit, I’m going to double down.”

Mr Boikov did not say what he intended to ‘double down’, but probably meant his support for Russia, Putin, the invasion of Ukraine and anti-vax views.

In August 2021, Qantas announced plans to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for all employees given three months to get jabbed.

Frontline workers such as cabin crew, pilots and airport staff had until November 15 to receive one dose of the vaccine, while the remaining workers had until the end of March.

The airline said the decision to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for staff was made “as part of the national airline’s commitment to safety.”

The mandate was introduced after a survey was conducted of 22,000 Qantas and Jetstar employees to get their views on mandatory jabs.

Of the 12,000 employees who responded to the survey, 89 percent said they had already been bullied or booked one.

A survey of Qantas customers at the time found that 92 percent expected aircrew to be vaccinated.

At the time, Mr Joyce said a fully vaccinated workforce not only protects staff from the virus, but also their customers and the communities they fly to.

“One crew member can fly to multiple cities in one day and connect with thousands of people,” said the CEO.

“Making sure they’re vaccinated given the potential for this virus to spread is so important, and I think that’s the kind of safety leadership people would expect from us.”

Qantas was the second major Australian employer to announce mandatory vaccinations for all its staff.

Earlier that same month, food manufacturer SPC became the first company to mandate a Covid-19 vaccine for all employees and visitors to its site.