Budget Airline News

Budget Airline seeks to bar disabled passengers

According to reports in the Australian media, low cost carrier Tiger Airways has applied to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission for exemption to the Disability Act. If passed this would affectively allow them to refuse to carry disabled passengers.

The airline claims it does not have the correct equipment to safely allow wheelchair-bound passengers to board their Airbus A320 aircraft.

Human rights commissioner Graeme Innes told journalists, ""It's fine for low-cost or budget airlines to reduce services, But not carrying passengers with disabilities can't be part of those reductions and to do so is against the law."

Australian Consumers Association warns budget airlines against being too authoritarian

The Australian Consumers Association has warned new budget airline Tiger Airways from being too authoritarian with the rules after turning away passengers who miss the 45 minute deadline for check-in.

Tiger Airways has the strictest deadline of any airline operating domestic flights in Australia. Rival budget carriers Virgin Blue and Jetstar operate a cutoff 30 minutes prior to departure and full cost carrier Qantas allow passengers with hand luggage only to check-in 15 minutes prior to departure.

A spokesman for the budget carrier told journalists: ""We've had a few people who missed the deadline and they're obviously not happy about it,"