Airlines

Qantas Launches $10M Regional Grants Program – Applications Open

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Qantas is inviting regional community groups across Australia to apply for a share of $10 million as part of its grants program, which opened today.

The Qantas Regional Grants program will provide a total of $10 million in grants over five years – $2 million each year – to support Australian-based not-for-profit community groups and projects that benefit regional areas. The grants include a combination of flights, cash and marketing support, and will be determined by a panel made up of Qantas management and community group representatives.

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Applications open today and will close on 9 May 2023. Successful recipients will be announced in June 2023.

Qantas Regional Grants program was launched in 2019, with the first year of funding distributed among 20 community groups from every state and territory from more than 1,200 applications. The program was paused when the airline was effectively grounded by the pandemic.

Some of the previous recipients included:

Lifeline Central West (NSW) which supports individuals and communities across the Central West region by providing them with access to online, phone and face-to-face crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Country to Canberra (ACT) which empowers young rural women to reach their leadership potential and provides advocacy and education opportunities.
Fair Game Australia (WA) which collects and distributes pre-loved sports equipment, along with providing health and fitness education to young people in Australia’s most remote communities.
Red Dust Role Models (NT) which works with remote Indigenous communities to create stronger futures for youth and their families.
AgBiz Assist Ltd (VIC) which provides financial counselling to farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and small rural-related businesses experiencing financial hardship.
Outback Watersports Club Inc (Outback Paddle Regatta Festival) (QLD) which partnered with their local community to bring the Outback Paddle Regatta Festival to life again in 2020. The event showcases the outback Queensland and the Thomson River.
Ten Days on the Island Ltd (TAS) which is Tasmania’s biennial international arts festival, presenting new work from Tasmania’s leading artists alongside the work of the world’s most exciting creative practitioners.

Details of all the previous grant recipients can be found here.

Qantas is Australia’s largest regional airline, connecting more than 50 regional communities with capital cities. Since the start of the pandemic, Qantas has launched 38 new regional routes providing even more tourism and economic opportunities for regional Australia.

Airlines

DOT Proposes New Passenger Compensation Rules for Flight Disruptions

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has unveiled a major initiative to enhance protections for air travelers affected by flight cancellations or significant delays caused by airlines.

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This Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeks public feedback on new measures that could require airlines to compensate passengers and provide necessary services automatically.

Key Proposals by the DOT:

Cash Compensation for Airline-Caused Disruptions
- Airlines may be required to pay passengers at least $200 in cash for flight disruptions caused by circumstances under their control, such as mechanical issues or IT failures.
- A tiered compensation system is being considered:
  - $200–$300 for domestic delays of 3–6 hours.
  - $375–$525 for delays lasting 6–9 hours.
  - $750–$775 for delays exceeding 9 hours.
- The DOT is exploring whether smaller airlines should have different compensation thresholds and whether compensation is needed if passengers are notified weeks in advance of a disruption.
Free Rebooking on the Next Available Flight
- Airlines may be obligated to rebook passengers at no extra cost if a flight is canceled or delayed by at least 3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally.
- Rebooking options may include:
  - Flights operated by the airline or its codeshare partners.
  - Flights on other carriers with which the airline has a commercial agreement if no suitable options are available within 24 hours.
Provision of Meals, Lodging, and Transportation
- Airlines may need to cover meals, overnight accommodations, and transportation for stranded passengers.
- Minimum reimbursements could be established when services aren’t provided upfront, ensuring passengers can recoup costs even without submitting receipts, up to a defined limit.

The DOT’s proposals draw inspiration from consumer protection frameworks in countries like Canada, Brazil, the UK, and the European Union. Research suggests that EU compensation requirements have successfully reduced the frequency and length of delays, demonstrating the effectiveness of such measures.

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Passengers currently face numerous hurdles when seeking compensation or services, including vague policies, lack of upfront communication, and reliance on in-person requests at airports. The new rulemaking aims to close these gaps by establishing clear, enforceable standards for airlines.

Public input on the proposed measures will shape the final rules. The DOT hopes these changes will create a more accountable and passenger-friendly system, ensuring travelers are better supported during disruptions.

With these proposed rules, the DOT seeks to make airline travel more reliable and fair, setting a new standard for passenger rights in the United States.