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STORY: Qantas CEOs tend to stick around.

“I’m also very pleased that in the 103 years of Qantas’ history, there’s only been 12 CEOs.”

But incumbent Alan Joyce is going early.

Australia's flagship airline said Tuesday (September 5) that he would step down two months earlier than previously flagged.

The sudden departure comes after Qantas apologized Monday (September 4) following allegations it sold tickets for flights it knew had been cancelled.

In a statement, the company said its service standards had fallen short.

Qantas has also faced a series of other controversies, including the granting of premium airport lounge access to the Australian prime minister’s son.

Now the airline will get its first female boss.

Vanessa Hudson will take over on Wednesday (September 6).

She was already named as successor at a news conference back in May:

“I am so passionate about Qantas, I have worked for Qantas for 28 years and that excitement of the first day that I felt walking into Qantas, I feel still today.”

Top of her to-do list will be restoring the airline’s battered reputation, and reviving its flagging share price.

Qantas stock is down around 13% since the start of August.

In his departing statement, Joyce said the airline needed to “move ahead with its renewal as a priority”.