Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection Levy Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection Levy (Collection) Bill 2026
Mr THISTLETHWAITE (Kingsford Smith—Assistant Minister for Immigration and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) (16:25): We've all received the text message prior to a flight, 'Your flight has been cancelled,' or, 'Your flight has been delayed.' On some routes, it's almost expected that the flight will be delayed. What used to be an occasional inconvenience has, for many travellers, become a routine part of flying in Australia.
It has an effect on people's lives and their businesses. It disrupts family plans, work commitments, medical appointments and important moments people simply can't afford to miss. The inconvenience is real, and it's felt across the country.
We all know that these disruptions can result in the abuse of staff from frustrated flyers. Airline workers, the people checking bags or assisting at gates, trying to do their best to help, often bear the brunt of the anger for decisions that they're not responsible for. They deserve better.
Travellers deserve better, and the system itself needs to work better. Right now there is little sanction or downside for airlines when flights are delayed or cancelled without adequate explanation or support. The system is tilted in favour of the airline, not the passenger.
For too long, consumers have been left with uncertainty, long waits for refunds and limited avenues for recourse when services fall short. People feel powerless in situations where they should have a clear right and clear protections. Our government is rectifying this with new reforms designed to provide more balance and more rights for passengers.
These reforms recognise that aviation is not just a commercial service; it's an essential part of how Australians live, work and stay connected. When flights are unreliable, when information is unclear or when passengers are left stranded, the impact is felt far beyond the airport terminal. The Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026 is about addressing these longstanding issues.
It's about ensuring that consumers and passengers are treated fairly. It's about ensuring that airlines meet their obligations and that passengers have enforceable rights when things go wrong. It's about shifting the system from one where inconvenience is accepted as inevitable to one where accountability is expected and delivered.
And it's about restoring confidence in an industry that millions of Australians rely on every day. The Albanese government is delivering an Australian-first aviation consumer protection package, and today we're introducing this package into the parliament. These reforms are long overdue.
For years, passengers have been left without clear rights, without timely remedies and without a system that genuinely puts consumers first. The Aviation Consumer Protection Bill changes that. It reshapes the way travellers interact with the aviation industry.
It provides the protections that they need when things go wrong, and it does so while supporting an affordable and competitive aviation sector. The new Aviation Consumer Protection Framework will set clear consumer standards for services provided by airports and airlines. It will assist travellers to resolve complaints, including those related to flight delays, cancellations, baggage issues, accessibility services and other disruptions that have become far too common.
The framework recognises that aviation is essential infrastructure. When flights are delayed or cancelled, the consequences ripple through people's lives. Passengers deserve certainty and fairness.
In developing these reforms, the government has undertaken extensive consultation with the industry, consumer groups and the public, and we've listened carefully to travellers who feel powerless when things go wrong. We've listened to industry stakeholders who want a fair system and want consistent and sustainable rules. We've listened to consumer advocates who, for too long, have urged that Australia needed to take stronger protections.
Our legislation strikes the right balance between meaningful protections for passengers and a competitive, sustainable aviation sector. The recent events in the Middle East have demonstrated how a global crisis can impact us domestically. They led to flight disruptions and uncertainty for Australian travellers.
We've seen passengers unsure of what to do next. We've seen passengers unsure of what recourse is available when flights are cancelled or delayed. This is why this legislation is so important.
It ensures that, when global events disrupt travel, Australians have clear rights, they have clear information and they have clear avenues for assistance. The Aviation Consumer Protection Bill creates the legal foundation for the entire framework. It does four major things.
It enables the creation of the Aviation Consumer Protections Charter. The charter will set minimum standards for airline, airport and accessibility services. The charter will be developed through regulation and ensures flexibility as the industry evolves.
It provides for systemic monitoring, compliance and enforcement of those standards. This will be done by the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority. The ACPA will be established within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts.
The ACPA will investigate systemic issues, it will enforce the charter and it will ensure airlines and airports meet their obligations. The bill enables the authorisation of an external dispute resolution scheme. The scheme will be known as the Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme.
The ACOS will be operated by an independent not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. For the first time, passengers will have access to impartial, accessible and fair aviation-specific complaint-handling services. The current system of self-regulation has not delivered effective complaint resolutions.
The ACOS will change that. It also establishes an aircraft noise ombudsman, and, the electorate that I represent, Kingsford Smith—which has Australia's busiest and largest airport in it—this is a welcome development for local residents. This ensures independence from Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence.
The ANO will review how aircraft noise complaints are managed, the ANO will assess community consultation processes and the ANO will publish independent reports and make recommendations for policy and regulatory change. In addition, the reform package includes three other bills: the Aviation Consumer Protection (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill; and the Aviation Protection Levy Bill and the Consumer Protection Levy Bill, which will impose and collect levies.
This bill ensures proportionality. It avoids unintended consequences. These bills create the legal foundation for the framework.
The charter will set out the minimum standards that aviation consumers can expect, and the charter will be enforced by the ACPA. The government will work closely with stakeholders in the establishment of the ACOS, and the legislation provides the responsible minister with the powers to exempt entities from the framework. It also allows the government to balance consumer benefits and regulatory impacts.
Under subordinate legislation, the government intends to exempt airports with fewer than one million passengers per year. This means the framework will apply to the largest 14 airports in Australia, and that will include the new Western Sydney international airport. Together, those airports capture around 93 per cent of all passenger movements.
Exempting smaller airports recognises their role as critical community infrastructure. It recognises their limited financial and operational capacity. The cost impacts on airlines and airports will be kept as low as practical.
The subordinate legislation includes the charter and the regulations supporting industry levies. The government wants consumer protections to focus on fair remedies and support. This includes prompt rebookings, it includes access to food and accommodation and it includes timely refunds.
International experience shows that fixed compensation schemes often lead to higher airfares; they don't improve standards. However, if airlines and airports do not raise their standards, the government may consider further action, and it now has the powers through the ombudsman and the ACPA to enforce those standards. However, if airlines and airports don't raise their standards, the government can consider further action.
This legislation is about fairness, about accountability and about restoring confidence in Australia's aviation industry. It's about ensuring that every traveller, no matter where they live or why or when they fly, is treated with dignity and respect.