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The new Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme will improve outcomes for air travellers by clarifying and upholding the rights of aviation customers, and establish an independent mechanism to resolve customer complaints about the aviation industry.
How the Ombuds Scheme will help Australians
The establishment of a new independent Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme was announced in the Aviation White Paper: Towards 2050. The Ombuds Scheme will develop an Aviation Customer Rights Charter to set out what the ombudsperson considers fair and appropriate treatment of customers by airlines and airports.
The Ombuds Scheme is expected to begin operations in 2026 after being established through legislation. Until then, it cannot investigate complaints.
To support improved outcomes for aviation customers in the short term, an interim ombudsperson has been appointed from within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the Department). The interim ombudsperson has a limited set of functions and is:
- drafting and consulting on the Aviation Customer Rights Charter;
- reviewing and producing a report on aviation industry complaints handling;
- conducting a survey on passenger experiences and satisfaction with airlines and airports; and
- establishing systems and processes to manage complaints about airports and airlines when the legislation supporting the Ombuds Scheme commences.
Consultations
The Department concluded a consultation on the design and implementation of the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme at the end of 2024.
Consultation on the draft Aviation Customer Rights Charter has recently concluded. The public submissions received through this process have been published on the Have Your Say page.
What’s happening now?
The Department is currently considering the feedback received through the consultations, to inform the design of the Ombuds Scheme.
As outlined in the consultation paper on the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme, the Department is undertaking a comprehensive review of customer complaints handling processes and standards of airlines, airports and the Airline Customer Advocate. The review, to be completed in 2025, will provide a detailed understanding of complaints handling across the sector and provide baseline data and information to measure future changes against. It will also inform the development of best practice complaints handling by the industry and the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme.
The Department is also undertaking research into consumer experiences and satisfaction with airlines and airports. This research will include a survey of the general public on their aviation experiences.
Making a complaint
About Airlines
Each major domestic airline has their own customer charter which outlines their customer commitments, including complaint handling processes:
- Customer Guarantee | Jetstar
- Customer Charter | Qantas AU
- Guest Charter | Virgin Australia
- Customer Charter | Rex
If you have experienced an issue with the customer service you have received from a domestic airline, including issues with refunds, flight cancellations and delays, and/or baggage services, you must first lodge a complaint with the airline and receive an outcome from that complaints process.
As the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme is currently not legislated to investigate unresolved complaints lodged with airlines, the Airline Customer Advocate (ACA) will continue to provide a free service to eligible customers of participating major Australian airlines by facilitating the resolution of unresolved complaints about airline services. Further information on the ACA is available at www.airlinecustomeradvocate.com.au.
Alternatively, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) website provides information on Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and details of local consumer protection agencies to lodge complaints. Further information can be found on the ACCC website: Where to go for consumer help | ACCC
The ACCC also provides helpful information for consumers affected by travel disruptions:
Consider travel insurance
Travel insurance can assist with covering costs if something goes wrong on your domestic or international travel.
Choice has useful advice regarding travel insurance: Everything you need to know about travel insurance | CHOICE
About aircraft noise
About aviation safety and incidents
About Security screening
About Australian Government bodies involved in aviation
Keep in touch
Subscribe to our mailing list to get updates about the interim Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme.
Email: aviationcustomerrights@infrastructure.gov.au
Timeline
Below is a timeline showing the activities taking place between now and the establishment of the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme in 2026.
