1 April 2026
CHOICE welcomes the Federal Government’s introduction of legislation to Parliament to establish an independent ombuds scheme for travel complaints, a new regulator, as well as laying the groundwork for new aviation consumer protections.
The Bill:
- Lays the groundwork for stronger consumer protections through the Aviation Consumer Protections Charter
- Provides for systemic monitoring, compliance and enforcement of the Charter through the new regulator, the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority (ACPA)
- Enables authorisation of the new external dispute resolution scheme, the Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme.
Quotes attributable to Andy Kelly, Director of Campaigns at CHOICE:
“CHOICE has long campaigned for stronger travel rights and an independent travel ombuds scheme with the power to handle complaints and make binding determinations. Today’s announcement could not come soon enough, as many Australians face travel chaos due to global disruptions once again. When things go wrong, consumers need stronger protections and an independent body that will take their complaints seriously.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant flaws in aviation consumer protections. Consumers struggled to obtain satisfactory outcomes when flights didn’t go to plan, and were routinely given the runaround by many airlines and the industry-funded Airline Customer Advocate, which picked up a Shonky Award in 2021.”
“As escalating global conflict and volatile fuel prices make travel plans unpredictable once again, providing consumers with an independent avenue to resolve complaints if things go wrong will be a significant step forward.”
“While these reforms fell short of a European-style compensation scheme, these changes should force airlines to provide fair remedies for cancellations and unreasonable delays. The Framework will only be as strong as the protections contained in the Charter, and CHOICE will continue to advocate for the strongest possible protections for consumers.”
“These changes will be welcomed by Australian travellers, including the 32,000 CHOICE supporters who signed the petition calling for stronger travel rights.”
