Qantas planes are back in the air after an independent tribunal’s orders that the airline must resolve its ongoing dispute with labour unions.

The order came via Fair Work Australia, which came after presentations from the Australian Government, Qantas and three Labour unions: the Australian and International Pilots Association, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association and the Transport Workers Union.

The news follows the unprecedented grounding of all the airline’s flights at the weekend when Qantas chief Alan Joyce said there was ‘no end in sight’ to the ongoing industrial dispute.

Now, the airline said in a statement that it was given permission by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to resume flight operations and apologised to all customers for dispute-related turmoil in recent months. It said on Monday morning that normal schedules would be operational within 24 to 48 hours.

Qantas and the unions have been engaged in battle since August when the Australian flag carrier announced restructuring plans that include moving international operations to Asia and the loss of some 1,000 jobs in Australia. In response, ongoing strikes have caused the cancellation of more than 600 Qantas flights in addition to thousands of delays, which the airline said was costing it AUD $15 million (£12 million) each week.