Women ‘begged’ Transport Minister to block Qatar flights in letter

Sky News has obtained a letter to Transport Minister Catherine King from five women who were invasively strip searched in Doha, detailing their desperate plea to block extra Qatar Airways flights.

“It is our strong belief that Qatar Airways is not fit to carry passengers around the globe let alone to major Australian airports,” the letter stated on June 27.

“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.

“We implore you to instead consider an airline that will uphold human rights.”

[stevewiles]

But no one would be forcing Women to travel on Qatar, people still have a personal choice as to who they fly with.

[alanw]

The Labor govt must think Australians are idiots. Surely the letter is a matter of convenience only & is meant to provide cover for the real reasons behind banning the Qatar request.

[arroeducarlion]

why did it take 3 YEARS for labor to talk to Qatar government about an incident in 2020?
seems like they are desperate for an excuse to refuse the airline

[meredithisme]

Just boycott Qantas and Jetstar my company is doing it

[kiandrah]

Or they could just not fly with them. Stop banning everything. I don't even have a room big enough to put Qatar flights into!

[toridinnison]

In the circumstances it’s not inhumane. Someone killed a baby, they had to find out.

[jerrywong]

What didn't the Australian government do anything until now?

[epimetheaus]

Transparency and current year do not belong in the same sentence.

[d-munn]

AU needs to stop trying to export 'values'.

[susanc]

If there’s any flights at all, then what difference would another 28 make? Why just not issue the written reasons for the decision?

[isomorph]

That letter has been curated by an 'interested party'.

[kathysmith]

Right🤔like the politicians give a shit

[nimrod]

So all it takes is 1 letter? So stupid, nobody is forcing you to fly Qatar. Just don't fly with them if you have an issue, they will leave Australia on their own if nobody flies with them.

[berttomson]

Wow ok for these women in question. Please remember this has nothing to with Qatar airlines. You where in another country when this happen. Totally out of the airlines control. Qatar airlines is a far greater airlines than Qantas will ever be.

[anthonycrowley]

What happened to those women was disgusting, no doubt.
Now if the refusal for any more flights of Qatar Airways is this, why don’t you stop and ban Qatar Airways altogether, they already fly here, so why now bring this up as a reason now the blow torch is on you. What difference when an airline is already and still flying into Australia to having more flights into Australia.
They perhaps should of dealt with this back in 2020 and punished the airline back then.

[Trevwhitesailing]

I recall one of the only airlines prepared to fly Australian citizens home during COVID was Qatar, I was on one of those planes when Qantas was taking tax payer money and client money and leaving people stranded. Qatar is also has much higher standards than what has become of Qantas which is a national disgrace

[jeffstorer]

But when women get badly treatment in parliament house, we. Go the extra mile to cover it up, at any cost, what a bullshit excuse

[pegibbons]

the legal actions of Qatarie Government authorities at the have nothing to do with Qatar Airlines!

I've never been fingered or molested by any Qatar Airlines flight attendant....

[mauricewhite]

Why is the airline being blamed? Surely, it was the local authorities, not the airline
The airline must obey the local authorities. Surely, people should be blaming the airport police (authorities) and not the airline

[richardtravers]

An old Army song springs to mind "Bullshit Bullshit it all sounds like Bullshit to me"