Qantas to pay $66 miliion fine in flight cancellation case

Qantas fine

Qantas Airways has agreed to pay a hefty penalty of A$100 million ($66 million) to settle a lawsuit accusing it of unlawfully selling tickets for cancelled flights. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that Qantas misled customers by selling tickets for flights that were no longer operational. As part of the settlement, Qantas will also initiate a A$20 million remediation program for affected passengers, compensating each impacted customer with payments ranging from A$225 to A$450. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasized the significance of the proposed penalty in enforcing consumer protection laws. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson acknowledged the airline's failure to meet customer expectations and expressed regret over the inconvenience caused. She assured that Qantas is enhancing its processes and investing in new technology to prevent similar incidents in the future. The financial impact of the remediation program and penalty will be reflected in Qantas's full-year financial results, with the actual cash outflow expected in the following financial year.