Australia's Qantas Airlines fined for selling tickets for canceled flights, will have to pay $79 million

Qantas Airways, a major airline in Australia, has consented to settle a lawsuit pertaining to the sale of tickets for flights that have already been canceled. The airline consented to pay 79 million US dollars, or 120 million Australian dollars, for this. The airline will reimburse more than 86,000 passengers with 20 million Australian dollars, or $1.3 million, in exchange for paying a fine of 100 million Australian dollars, or $66 million. This is a 2021–2022 issue.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said in a statement on Monday, "Qantas's conduct was egregious and unacceptable. Many consumers would have made holiday, business, and travel plans by booking a flight that had already been booked. He said we are taking this action to ensure companies operating in Australia communicate clearly, accurately, and honestly with their customers at all times.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson said the settlement is subject to court approval and is an important step as we work to restore confidence in the national carrier. Hudson said, "When flights resumed following the COVID shutdown, we recognized that Qantas let customers down. We know that many of our customers were impacted by our failure to provide timely flight cancellation notifications." "And we are sincerely sorry."

Qantas, which reported an annual profit of $1.1 billion last year. Qantas has been in the news in recent years for things like rising airline ticket prices, claims of poor service standards, and the dismissal of 1,700 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September, then-CEO Alan Joyce brought forward his retirement by two months after 15 years at the helm amid widespread criticism of the airline.