Airlines

A plane took off from Switzerland with 111 people on board without a single suitcase

A plane going from Zurich to Spain this weekend arrived without a single piece of luggage, unknowing to the passengers, according to media reports Sunday, blaming ground staff shortages.

Passengers on a Swiss Airlines trip to the northern Spanish city of Bilbao waited for their luggage for more than two hours on Saturday evening. Kavin Ampalam, a spokesperson for Swiss Airlines, confirmed that the aircraft had departed with 111 people on board but no luggage. Swiss had been operating the aircraft on behalf of Edelweiss Airlines.

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He said, adding that the crew had waited for the issue to be resolved. “There was a shortage of ground staff,” he said. However, the situation remained unchanged after “one hour and 16 minutes, and for operational reasons, we decided to fly to Bilbao without the baggage.”

He added that this was necessary in order to pick up passengers in Bilbao and return the aircraft to Zurich before the airport closed for the night. We realize the circumstances are not favorable for those worried, and of course, we regret the inconvenience,” he said.

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According to reports, a number of passengers claimed the pilot in command of the flight apologized excessively for the delayed departure but made no mention of leaving the customers’ luggage in Zurich. The passengers said that Iberia employees had informed them that their baggage wasn’t on board when the aircraft arrived in Bilbao.

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Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

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The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.