Airlines
Qantas Grapples with $66 Million Fine After “Ghost Flights” Scandal
Qantas, the renowned Australian airline, finds itself in the midst of a significant controversy, agreeing to pay a hefty $66 million fine in the aftermath of what has been dubbed the “ghost flights” scandal.
The scandal revolves around accusations that Qantas continued to sell seats on flights that had long been cancelled, leaving passengers in the lurch. Australia’s competition watchdog revealed that Qantas had confessed to misleading consumers by advertising seats on tens of thousands of flights, despite the fact that these flights had been cancelled.
This compensation scheme will see domestic customers receiving $225 and international customers receiving $450. Qantas emphasized that this compensation is in addition to any refunds or alternative flight arrangements that may have already been offered to impacted passengers.
Affected customers will be notified via email starting next month, outlining the process for lodging a claim. Further details can be found at www.qantasremediation.deloitte.com.au. Vanessa Hudson, Qantas’ chief executive, expressed regret over the airline’s failure to meet its own standards and acknowledged the disappointment experienced by customers.
As part of the agreement, Qantas has pledged not to engage in similar conduct in the future. Additionally, the airline has committed to promptly informing customers of cancelled flights, ensuring that notifications are issued within 48 hours of the decision to cancel. Furthermore, Qantas will cease selling tickets for such journeys within 24 hours of cancellation.
This commitment extends to Qantas subsidiary Jetstar as well. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Qantas will seek approval of the proposed penalty from the Federal Court. However, Qantas intends to initiate the remediation process before the court approval is obtained, signaling a proactive approach to addressing the fallout from the scandal.
Airlines
A 17-yr boy was arrested for making a hoax bomb threat, causing multiple flight diversions and delays.
Mumbai police have detained a 17-year-old boy from Chhattisgarh who allegedly issued bomb threats to multiple international flights via social media. According to the police, the minor made the threats to settle a financial dispute by framing another person.
The incident began on Monday night when a New York-bound Air India flight, originally departing from Mumbai, had to be diverted to New Delhi after receiving a bomb threat. The flight was later rescheduled. That same evening, two other international flights operated by IndiGo, heading to Jeddah and Muscat, also received similar threats, causing delays of several hours.
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The investigation revealed that all three threats originated from posts made by the minor from Chhattisgarh, leading to his detention. He was subsequently handed over to the local Juvenile Justice Board. The Mumbai police found that the boy had used the name and picture of another individual, also from Chhattisgarh, to create a fake social media account and issue the threats. The intention, according to the police, was to frame the other person and settle a score over a financial disagreement.
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The situation escalated on Tuesday, when a total of seven flights, including one bound for the United States, received similar threats through a social media handle. Security agencies initiated counter-terrorist drills at various airports to ensure safety. Further investigation into the minor’s actions and motivations is ongoing.
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