The Australian company “Qantas” agreed to pay a fine of $66 million, due to the “ghost flights” scandal, after accusations that it sold tickets on flights that it had previously cancelled.
The Australian Competition Authority announced that the company “admitted it misled consumers” by selling seats on tens of thousands of canceled flights. The company will also pay compensation worth $13 million to about 86,000 passengers who were affected by the canceled or rescheduled flights.
“Ghost flights” is a term that was launched more than 3 years ago to refer to empty or almost empty flights that companies were undertaking in compliance with their contracts during the Corona pandemic crisis, according to what the “Ghost Flights” network says.CNN“American.
“Qantas’ behavior was appalling and unacceptable,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. She added: “Many consumers have made plans for vacation, work and travel, after booking tickets on canceled flights.”
Qantas acknowledged that in some cases, passengers had booked tickets on flights that were canceled “two or more days in advance.”
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson acknowledged in a statement that the company had “failed consumers and fallen short of its standards,” adding: “We know that many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide timely cancellation notices, and we are sincerely sorry.”
The $66 million fine remains subject to court approval.
The Australian company, which was founded 103 years ago, is seeking to improve its image after a series of crises in recent years.
Qantas was criticized by travelers due to the high prices of its tickets, accusations of a decline in the level of its services, and the dismissal of about 1,700 ground service workers during the Corona pandemic.
Last September, its CEO, Alan Joyce, announced his early retirement after a series of criticism.
