Federal election could risk aviation changes

There will also be a stricter approach to Sydney Airport’s management of outgoing flights, which the white paper found was contributing to high levels of cancellations. It warned there was currently an incentive for airliners to book runway slots without intending to use them, often to prevent competitors taking them.

As part of its efforts to keep regional airliner Rex afloat during administration, King confirmed the government would ease requirements for its slot holdings until March 2026.

However, there are questions about whether the company managing slots, which is part owned by Qantas and Virgin, creates a conflict of interest. Labor has gone to a competitive tender process for a new manager, but stopped short of guaranteeing that the new operator would have no relationship with a major airliner.

The Department of Finance will also review Commonwealth travel purchasing policies, with the federal government and public servants major airline customers.

An interim ombudsperson will be appointed in the coming days, with King saying they would be able to take complaints in the new year.

Critics will argue the white paper does little to address an aviation sector duopoly, with Qantas — including its subsidiary Jetstar — and Virgin controlling over 90% of the domestic industry. King said the government was attempting to attract “as much competition as we possibly can” in a market where high operation costs made that “challenging”.

Last year, King came under fire after blocking Qatar Airways from almost doubling its flights to Australia, a move which threatened Qantas but would have made international travel cheaper. At the time, King insisted the move was “in the national interest”, though said on Monday she would consider all plans put before her.

In the European Union, customers are entitled to a full refund or an alternative flight if their flight is cancelled, and a return to their airport of departure if they’ve already boarded a connecting flight. If the disruption was in the airline’s control — not an “extraordinary circumstance” — customers are entitled to further compensation.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration implemented similar laws requiring automatic refunds to customers when flights are cancelled or significantly delayed.

What they said: “What we all want to see is that customers get what they pay for. If you bought a ticket [and] the flight doesn't go, or the flight doesn't go when you expect it to go, you should expect that that's the service that is provided,” King told reporters in Canberra.