Qantas has been slammed as ‘deceptive’ and ‘misleading’ for continuing to sell $2,000 flights to the war-torn Middle East despite the airspace being closed.
The airspace above Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar has been closed for days following the conflict which began on February 28 with the US-Israel airstrikes on Iran.
Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi Airports reopened on Monday to allow a small number of flights to depart. Hamad International Airport in Qatar remains closed.
However, Qantas is still selling codeshare flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi due to depart on Tuesday night, with a one-way economy ticket from Sydney to Dubai at 9.10pm currently available for $2,043 on the carrier’s website.
Another flight leaving Sydney just 35 minutes later retails for the same price.
‘Pretty bad to take people’s money on flights which everybody knows aren’t going to depart… businesses shouldn’t sell services that they know for sure that they won’t be able to deliver,’ one person wrote online.
Another referred to Qantas’ $120million loss in the Federal Court after the watchdog found it had sold cancelled ‘ghost flights’ between 2022 and 2024.
‘Qantas have form in this space,’ they wrote. ‘[They] agreed to a total penalty and compensation package of $120million for selling tickets on over 70,000 “ghost flights” that were already cancelled.’
Qantas has been referred to Australia’s consumer protection watchdog amid the conflict
Aussies shared their concerns online, with some labelling Qantas’s conduct as ‘deceptive’
However, Qantas is still selling flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi that are due to depart on Tuesday, in a move described by Aussies as ‘misleading and deceptive’ (pictured)
However, others suggested it ‘takes two to tango’.
‘I’d pin this more back on the individual who books those flights. We should focus more on personal responsibility not looking for corporate malfeasance,’ one said.
The Daily Mail has seen multiple reports of people referring Qantas to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding the matter.
When asked to confirm if the ACCC was investigating the airline, a spokesperson refused to comment, citing the commission’s policy of not commenting on ‘individual businesses or specific examples.’
‘Airlines are required to meet the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) when they supply their services. These include providing services in a reasonable time, and supplying services with due care and skill,’ they continued.
‘Whether an airline has failed to meet these consumer guarantees will depend on the circumstances in any particular case.
‘Where services are cancelled in circumstances where the airline has not met these consumer guarantees, consumers are entitled to a remedy, which may be a replacement service, credit, or refund, depending on the circumstances.’
The ACCC spokesperson also noted consumer guarantees are unlikely to apply if an airline delays or cancels a flight due to the actions of a third party (such as a government implementing restrictions on the flight).
The Daily Mail has contacted Qantas for comment (pictured Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson)
The Daily Mail has contacted Qantas and Emirates for comment.
Emirates and Etihad Airways are also selling one-way tickets to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Thursday morning, with some seats retailing for over $7,000.
It comes as the 115,000 Australians stuck in the Middle East suffered a fresh blow on Monday night when the main repatriation route through Cyprus was suddenly closed.
The passenger terminal in Paphos, Cyprus, was evacuated about midday after a suspicious object was detected on the radar.
During past conflicts in the Middle East, Australians have been evacuated from the Gulf to Cyprus by ferry and then flown home, however, the escalation on Monday saw maritime routes to the island in southern Europe also shut.
Many have complained of a delay in hearing from consular officials and that the embassy phone line was not working.
