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Jetstar Airways fined US$1.32 million for misleading its New Zealand customers
September 2nd 2025
A New Zealand court has fined Jetstar Airways NZ$2.25 million (US$1.32 million) for being evasive about customer rights to compensation under the country’s Civil Aviation Act. Read More » The ruling related to the LCC’s cancellations and delayed flights from January 2022 to March 2024. The penalty was announced in Auckland District Court by Judge Brooke Gibson on September 1. The New Zealand Commerce Commission took the Qantas Group carrier to court after an investigation revealed thousands of consumers were left out of pocket after their claims for compensation for flights delayed or cancelled for reasons within the airline’s control were unfairly denied. "Jetstar Airways conduct was serious, widespread and deserving of one of the biggest penalties ever imposed under the Fair Trading Act," Commerce Commission general manager for competition, fair trading and credit, Vanessa Horne, said. "Our investigation revealed misleading practices were the result of embedded shortcomings in Jetstar’s internal policies and instructions that allowed staff to decline legitimate claims for compensation." Jetstar had previously apologized to customers and said it had made changes to its systems.
