Anthony Albanese has called on airline giants Qantas and Jetstar to return $470m in owed flight credits to customers.
Qantas still owes $370m in credit to customers who had flights cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic, outgoing Qantas chief Alan Joyce told a Senate committee hearing on Monday.
Speaking at the same hearing, Jetstar Group boss Stephanie Tully revealed the budget carrier, which is owned by Qantas, held an additional $100m in unclaimed flight credits.
The airlines’ have controversially opted to keep a December 31 expiry date for the credits, meaning those who don’t book a flight before the end of the year are set to lose them altogether.
The Prime Minister made it clear he believes the airline should honour the credits.
“They need to look after their customers, and there’s no question that needs to occur,” Mr Albanese told ABC Perth on Tuesday.
“When people have made bookings in good faith, they then need to either have that money returned or they need to be able to use those bookings in order to make future flights.”
The PM was also peppered with questions about the Commonwealth’s decision to block dozens of Qatar airways flights in major airports and whether it was influenced by Qantas.
In July, the federal government rejected an application from the airline to add 21 more flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on top of the 28 already servicing Australia.
As criticism mounts over the decision, with Virgin Australia chief Jayne Hrdlicka saying the extra flights would lower airfares and boost tourism, Mr Albanese said he did not make the call.
“I didn’t make that decision. Transport ministers have over a period of time as the former government did,” Mr Albanese said.
“There’s nothing unusual about air services agreements.”
Mr Albanese did not clarify whether he had asked Transport Minister Catherine King about the Qatar decision nor whether he had spoken to Qantas about the matter.
Mr Joyce refused to answer questions about whether he had spoken to the Prime Minister about the Qatar decision while in the fiery senate committee meeting on Monday.
“I’m not going to comment on any conversations that took place,” Mr Joyce said.
The Prime Minister also dismissed the idea that he was “too close” with the Qantas chief over the Qatar issue and reports his son had been gifted a membership to the airline’s exclusive Chairman’s Lounge.
“…we engage with Australian industry in the transport sector, the resources sector, the retail sector, across the board,” he said.
“That is what we do and that‘s something that governments of all persuasions have done over a long period of time.”
The PM also addressed criticisms that his government had spent too long on settling on a date for the Voice to Parliament referendum.
He cited legislative rules around constitutional referendums that require voting dates to fall between two months and 33 days after legislation passes the Senate.
“The date will be announced well in advance of when the referendum will be held and people will be able to focus on what the question is,” the PM said.
Mr Albanese will speak at the campaign launch for Yes23 on Wednesday, where he will announce the vote will be held on October 14.
“It’s a very simple proposition to recognise First Nations people in our Constitution and then provide for an advisory group a voice so that Indigenous Australians can be listened to,” the PM said.
When asked if Australia would suffer reputational damage should the Voice fail, the PM said he was “focused on the positive”.
“I think a Yes vote will signal to the world that we are a mature nation that has come to terms with the fullness and richness of our history.”