Australian Government Denies Qatar Airways Additional Flights Due to Forced “Body” Searches

Recently, the Australian government made a decision to not grant Qatar Airways more flights, citing the forced “body” searches of female passengers in Doha as a significant factor. This incident occurred in October 2020 when passengers on Qatar Airways flights, including one bound for Sydney, were subjected to pelvic exams. The searches were conducted as authorities were searching for the mother of a newborn baby found in an airport bathroom.

Transport Minister Catherine King revealed that the women were taken off the planes at gunpoint and escorted to ambulances on the runway for “personal searches”. As a result, the Australian government decided to deny Qatar Airways’ request for 21 additional flights to Australia. However, King clarified that the intimate searches were not the sole reason for their decision, noting that other factors were also considered.

Opponents of the ruling Labor government have accused them of protecting Australian airline Qantas from competition, despite Qantas reporting record profits that have increased the cost of international flights. Nevertheless, King emphasized that multiple factors influenced their decision.

Although Qatar Airways currently operates 28 international flights per week to Australia, King suggested that they could increase the number of international flights to regional airports like Canberra. In response to the forced gynecological exams, five women have filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority for the distressing experience they endured.

It is worth noting that Minister King personally reached out to the affected women, expressing her shock and dismay at the shameful treatment they had endured in Doha. The Australian network ABC reported this news, and the source of the information is AFP.