Court ruling buoys Qantas travellers

The airline argued that the strikes disrupted operations and it needed certainty to continue operating (Getty Images)

Stranded British passengers could be in the air within hours after a court ended the Qantas union strikes and the grounding of the airline's fleet.

The Australian government ordered an arbitration hearing after the carrier grounded all of its aircraft amid a dispute with striking staff, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide.

In the last few weeks, workers have staged strikes and refused overtime work over concerns that some of the airline's 35,000 jobs would be moved overseas.

Yesterday a Qantas spokesman said 600 flights had been cancelled because of the industrial action - affecting 70,000 passengers. The strikes have cost the airline 15 million Australian dollars (£10 million) a week.

Fair Work Australia issued its ruling after hearing evidence from the airline, unions and government at an emergency session.

The ruling requires the unions to return to the negotiating table and come to an agreement within 21 days or face binding arbitration.

A spokesman for Qantas said that flights will resume "as soon as possible".

On the company's Facebook page a statement said: "We will be getting our aircraft back in the air as soon as we possibly can, following the Fair Work Australia decision.

"It could be as early as Monday afternoon on a limited schedule with the approval of the regulator.

"We apologise to all Qantas customers that have been impacted by the industrial action over the past few months and in particular the past few days."

Chief executive Alan Joyce said the tribunal decision "provides certainty for Qantas passengers".