Quite simply, five Australian women have won the right to sue Qatar Airways. All this comes on the heels of a traumatic experience during their Doha layover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport in 2020. Authorities removed the women from the flight after they followed an abandoned newborn baby to an airport dumpster. They were subsequently subjected to strip searches and invasive examinations. As a result, their legal battle has helped shine light on important issues affecting passenger rights and airport procedures that should concern everyone.
The incident, which unfolded in October 2020, prompted the women to file a lawsuit in 2021 against Qatar Airways, Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, and the airport’s management firm, Matar. They called for a formal apology from Qatar. On top of that, they demanded changes in airport protocols to avoid similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Qatar Airways sought criminal prosecution of an airport employee, which led to a suspended jail sentence. An Australian judge found that the airline could not be charged under current international travel regulations. This ruling was based on the view that it was “fanciful, trifling, implausible, improbable, and tenuous” to suggest that Qatar Airways staff could have intervened during the searches.
In a recent appeal, Justices Angus Stewart, Debra Mortimer, and James Stellios did something about it. They found that the primary judge had made fatal rulings on matters meant to be heard at trial. That successful appeal permitted the women to move forward with their lawsuit against Qatar Airways.
“Our clients endured a traumatic experience on that night in Doha and they deserve to have their day in court and compensation for their suffering,” – Damian Sturzaker
British grandmother Mandy is similarly ensnared in this painful saga. She described the violation of the invasive searches as making her feel like “I had been raped.” Representative accounts Other UK and Kiwi passengers described similar experiences. They don’t have a seat at this legal table.
The women only want their case initially dismissed to prevent it from going to trial. It was Mr. Sturzaker’s deep desire to litigate. He felt that the local authorities in Doha were failing to relieve pressure on his group. US District Court Justice John Halley had previously ruled that Qatar Airways cannot be held liable under the Montreal Convention. This complex multilateral treaty lays the ground rules for international air travel.