Qantas and ACCC settle for $120 million over cancelled flights
Qantas has struck a deal with the ACCC to settle a lawsuit over selling tickets on
cancelled flights. Admitting to misleading passengers, the airline will compensate
affected customers up to $450 each, with the remediation program estimated to cost
$20 million. On top of that, Qantas faces a hefty $100 million civil penalty for
breaching Australian Consumer Law.
All eyes are now on Qantas’ unlawful outsourcing case, which is expected to reach a
conclusion in the coming weeks. Nearly 1,700 ground handling workers, whose jobs
were unlawfully outsourced at the height of the COVID pandemic, will soon learn
about their compensation as the Federal Court case wraps up.
Still on the legal front, the flight attendants’ union is set to launch legal action with the
Fair Work Commission against Qantas. They aim to use Labor’s “same job, same
pay” laws to increase the pay of Qantas cabin crew members employed through
subsidiaries and labour hire companies. The union argues that these workers are
paid significantly less than their directly employed colleagues who perform the same
work.
Good news for Qantas: The European Aviation Safety Agency has certified a third
fuel tank for the A350-1000. After EASA’s earlier directive to redesign the central fuel
tank for safety, the delivery was delayed by six months to mid-2026. Qantas plans to
start Project Sunrise flights between Sydney and London or New York soon after.
These routes, expected to generate $400 million annually by 2030, are crucial for the
airline’s long-term profitability. Qantas has ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000s, with the
first delivery set for 2025.
More good news for Qantas: After years of legal disputes, Qantas and Perth Airport
have reached a 12-year agreement to invest $3 billion in new terminal facilities and a
parallel runway. While the new terminals will be ready by 2031, Perth Airport will
upgrade Qantas’s current terminals 3 and 4. This deal will create a world-class
western hub, enabling Qantas to expand its domestic and international services.
In other news Qantas has just introduced a new boarding procedure for domestic
flights to speed up the operational process and ensure timely departures.
Passengers will be assigned a number from one to six on their boarding pass, based
on their seat location, cabin, and frequent flyer status. Signage and announcements
will inform travellers when it is their time to board. This process is commonly used at
overseas airports, but it is the first time it has been implemented for domestic flights
in Australia.
Source: Qantas on the hook for $120m settlement after closing ACCC ghost flight lawsuit by James Dowling The Australian May 6th ,
Qantas promises more international flights from Perth after new deal with airport by Robyn Ironside The Australian May 31st
Qantas rolls out new boarding procedure to improve on-time performance by Robyn Ironside The Australian June 3rd
Flight attendants launch same job, same pay action against Qantas by Ewin
Hannan The Australian June 4th
Qantas ‘winged keel’ gets all clear for take-off on ultra long range flights by Robyn Ironside The Australian June 6th .