The speechwriter for Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce threatened to publish a tell-all book about Australia's flagship carrier despite the airline's objections, a court has heard.
Qantas has taken speechwriter, Lucinda Holdforth to court to stop the publication of a manuscript, titled Fighting Words, about the airline's controversial 2011 decision to ground its entire fleet during a dispute with its workforce.
The NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday heard Qantas took the action after Ms Holdforth threatened to put the manuscript online if the airline blocked its publication.
But Ms Holdforth's barrister, Gabriella Rubagotti, said her client had been willing to negotiate with the airline about the content of the book.
"The defendant was certainly open to negotiating with the plaintiff on this matter," she told the court.
Qantas is concerned Ms Holdforth, who remains an employee of Qantas, would disclose confidential information about the airline.
Ms Holdforth was Mr Joyce's speechwriter during the 2011 grounding and has also written speeches for his predecessor Geoff Dixon and then chairwoman Margaret Jackson.
Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin adjourned the matter until July 6 and urged Ms Holdforth and the airline to resolve the matter through mediation.
"It does seem sensible in circumstances such as these to try to get to a regime of mediation rather than litigation," Justice Bergin said.
The case has been adjourned for a directions hearing on July 6.
In a statement, Qantas said Ms Holdforth had ignored a duty not to disclose confidential information about the company.
"She has written a manuscript seeking to exploit for personal gain confidential internal information that she was privy to," the airline said.
"Qantas had no option but to take action to prevent Ms Holdforth from breaching her obligations to the company."
