The Australian Government released the Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050 in 2024 to support the Australian aviation industry into the future. One of the proposed initiatives is establishing the Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme (ACOS), which will deliver an independent, fair and accessible complaint handling service for aviation consumers. The ACOS is expected to begin operations in 2026 after being established through legislation.
BETA partnered with the Interim ACOS Team within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts to conduct a survey exploring the experiences, attitudes and behaviours of Australians travelling on commercial flights. These insights are designed to help improve outcomes for air travellers and to hold the aviation sector accountable for delivering on its obligations to customers.
What did BETA do?
BETA conducted an initial “screen-in” survey which asked over 7,600 people about their travel behaviours in a 12-month period1. BETA then conducted a more in-depth survey with a representative sample of over 4,000 Australian adults asking about their flight experiences and satisfaction with key elements of the air travel journey, from booking a ticket to disembarking at the destination airport.
What did BETA find?
Australians are regular air travellers
More than 1 in 2 (56%) Australian adults travelled by air in this 12-month period, and most flew more than once. Around 1 in 4 (24%) of these Australians identified as having a disability, medical condition or injury.
Australians’ satisfaction is comparable with other nations
Most Australians are generally satisfied with their air travel experiences with airlines and airports, with 77% satisfied with both their departure airport and airline on their most recent flight.
Flight disruptions are common, and Australians are not satisfied with how they are handled
One in 2 travellers experienced a flight disruption, with delays of between 15 minutes and 3 hours the most common type of experienced disruption. Only 31% travellers were satisfied with the handling of their disruption. In terms of support, 82% of travellers said they did not receive any support when they experienced a disruption, and 81% were not informed of their rights when these disruptions occurred.
Complaints are rare despite the level of experienced disruptions
Less than 1 in 10 (8%) air travellers made a complaint. Only 2 out of 5 of people who made a complaint (39%) were satisfied with the outcome, and less than 1 out of 5 (17%) were satisfied with the complaint process overall.
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- The 12 month period was between 28 August 2024 and 27 August 2025.