Saturday, March 22, 2025 Australia is on the verge of strengthening passenger rights with the proposed Pay-for-Delay bill , a piece of legislation currently under consideration by the Australian Senate. If passed, the bill promises to improve consumer protections for airline passengers, particularly those affected by delayed or cancelled flights, a long-overdue change in a country where airline passengers have long lacked clear rights. Current Gaps in Consumer Protection Unlike many other countries, Australia currently has no specific consumer protection laws for airline passengers.
Instead, passengers rely on the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which is vague and doesn’t directly address the complexities of air travel, especially in the case of flight delays and cancellations. With recent data showing that one in four flights in Australia is delayed or cancelled, the current system has left many passengers frustrated and without proper recourse. The Need for Change As it stands, passengers often find it difficult to navigate the complex web of regulations that determine their rights in these situations.
Victoria Roy , an expert in travel law and the Chair of the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s Travel Law Special Interest Group, explains that current legislation does not provide adequate protections or compensation for flight delays. According to Roy, airlines often limit their liability through their conditions of carriage, leaving passengers to fend for themselves when iss.
