Qatar Airways has vowed to not repeat an “extreme incident” during which numerous Australian ladies had been subjected to gynaecological examinations.
What the airline describes as a “one-off” occurred in 2020 when 13 Australian ladies had boarded a Qatar Airways airplane from Doha to Sydney.
Five of the ladies, who say they had been taken off the flight at gunpoint by guards and searched with out consent, are suing the airline within the Federal Court of Australia.
The incident occurred whereas authorities at Hamad International Airport had been in search of the mom of a new child child deserted in a bin.
Qatar Airways didn’t reply to their complaints and provided no apology, the ladies stated.
The firm’s senior vp, Matt Raos, instructed an Australian Senate inquiry there can be no repeat of the examinations.
They had been a “one-off incident, a very extreme incident”, he stated.
Mr Raos added: “We’ve had nothing like it previously in our history and we’re completely committed to ensuring nothing like this ever happens again.”
He declined to debate the incident due to the continuing court docket case, commenting: “The outcome of that Federal Court case is something that we will honour and abide.”
Read extra:
Ex-Spain boss to be investigated as a part of ‘kissgate’ probe
Kremlin releases video of Putin with ally
Dark cruelty of Russia’s detention centres
Three weeks in the past Australia’s transport minister, Catherine King, stated the examinations had been a think about her determination in July to refuse the Qatari government-owned airline further flights to Australia.
Mr Raos stated Qatar was “surprised and shocked” that Australia had rejected its utility for added companies to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, made in August 2022.
The 5 ladies taking authorized motion wrote to Ms King by way of their lawyer in June, urging that Qatar Airways not be allowed to double its variety of Australian companies from the present 28 flights per week.
“It is our strong belief that Qatar Airways is not fit to carry passengers around the globe let alone to major Australian airports,” they wrote.
“When you are considering Qatar Airways’ bid for extra landing rights, we beg you to consider its insensitive and irresponsible treatment of us and its failure to ensure the safety and dignity of its passengers.”
Qatar senior vp Fathi Atti instructed the inquiry the airline heard of the choice by way of the media on 10 July and didn’t obtain official notification from the Australian authorities till 10 days later.
Source: information.sky.com”