Today’s decision by Qantas to agree to pay $105 million in compensation to its customers for flights cancelled during the Covid pandemic is a vindication of the prosecution in the Australian Senate of Qantas Airlines under the stewardship of Alan Joyce.
“Qantas sought to take advantage of its customers during a time of distress and uncertainty during COVID, and that corporate behaviour was unconscionable,” Senator McKenzie said in response to today’s class action decision.
“It was an act of arrogance and an insult to the Australian travelling public by the then management of a much-loved airline which had forgotten that it was a customer-based business.
“Adding to that insult was that it was also an airline which had itself been supported by Government and the Australian taxpayer during the COVID pandemic.”
“At the time, the airline was receiving protection from the Albanese Government, which was reluctant to criticise Qantas behaviour.”
Qantas has vowed to change its corporate culture under a new board and a new management, however the decision to cancel $2 billion worth of flights due to travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic left a stain on its reputation.”
Qantas has today agreed to pay $105 million in compensation to customers who had to wait as long as three years for refunds from flights cancelled during the pandemic.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians have had to wait years for this action to be remedied through the courts.
