Australia's Qantas
Qantas Airways has filed its defence to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) lawsuit, which alleges that the airline sold tickets for thousands of flights that had already been cancelled.
In its defence, Qantas argues that the ACCC’s lawsuit ignores the reality of operating an airline and that the airline was doing its best to keep passengers informed of flight cancellations.
Qantas says that it cancelled flights due to a number of factors, including operational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages, and bad weather. The airline says that it sold tickets for some flights after they had been cancelled because it was waiting for confirmation of the cancellations or because it was still trying to rebook passengers on alternative flights.
Qantas also argues that the ACCC’s lawsuit is based on a flawed interpretation of the Australian Consumer Law. The airline says that it did not deceive passengers because it always intended to provide them with a service, even if it was not the service that they had originally booked.
The ACCC’s lawsuit is a significant test of the Australian Consumer Law and the rights of passengers. The outcome of the case will have implications for both airlines and passengers in Australia.
Here are some of the key points from Qantas’ defence:
Qantas did its best to keep passengers informed of flight cancellations.
Qantas cancelled flights due to a number of factors, including operational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages, and bad weather.
Qantas sold tickets for some flights after they had been cancelled because it was waiting for confirmation of the cancellations or because it was still trying to rebook passengers on alternative flights.
Qantas did not deceive passengers because it always intended to provide them with a service, even if it was not the service that they had originally booked.
The outcome of the case will be closely watched by both the airline industry and passengers.