Australia is planning to introduce a passenger protection scheme to compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations and to ensure greater accountability of airlines and airports.
Currently, there are no national standards that determine what passengers are entitled to, with airlines implementing their own regulations.
Under the new guidelines, passengers should be entitled to prompt re-bookings or refunds, and access to food and accommodation when travel plans are disrupted. The new Aviation Consumer Protections will clarify airline obligations, and the minimum level of assistance required.
The proposed Aviation Consumer Protections will be paired with an ombudsman scheme and a new regulator to ensure airlines and airports abide by the new minimum standards.
A consultation period is now under way until October 26 to establish the frameworks.
