The Australian Government released the Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050. The paper recommends 56 policy initiatives to support the Australian aviation industry into the future, including the establishment of an Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme (ACOS).
BETA partnered with the interim ACOS to survey a weighted representative sample of 4,008 Australians to understand their attitudes and behaviours regarding commercial air travel and explore their understanding of consumer rights.
We found the majority of Australians who travelled by air were satisfied with their overall air travel experience. However, flight disruptions were common and there was low satisfaction with how these disruptions were handled. The overall rate of complaints was low, but most who did complain found the process and the outcome not satisfactory. Self-reported and tested knowledge of consumer rights as air passengers was low. Australians with a disability, medical condition or injury, who comprise a quarter of travellers, faced unique challenges, such as difficulty accessing information on available assistance services, which was reflected in lower-than-average satisfaction levels across their travel journey.
Trial start and end dates: N/A
Ethics approval: Granted by Macquarie University HREC (ID: 19660) on 22 August 2025.
Research participants: Representative sample of 4008 Australians
Design: Descriptive survey
Interventions: N/A
Outcome measures: N/A
AEA pre-registration: N/A