The British government will not wait until Parliament passes legislation for a new airline ombudsman before starting work on a “charter of rights” for customers, says Transport Minister Catherine King.

On Monday morning, Ms King will unveil the Government’s plan to strengthen passenger rights, which will see the establishment of an independent ombudsman who will require airlines and airports to resolve customer complaints and report on their conduct.

In addition, a framework for customer rights will be created, for example the extent to which passengers are entitled to a cash refund for cancelled or delayed flights.

“We know that airline and airport customers have had difficulty enforcing their rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which is why a new independent ombudsman program is being established to establish a charter of rights,” Ms King told ABC.

“People struggle to actually get through to someone. Often they’ve spent hours on the phone trying to find out what they’re entitled to. The Ombudsman system allows for this independent review – a complaints mechanism that sets out clearly what the expectations are for airlines and airports to behave when it comes to customers’ rights.”

She said the Ombudsman would be appointed by law and given the power to impose and enforce penalties.

While complaints could not be accepted until next year, Ms King said her department would appoint an interim ombudsman to get the matter underway while Parliament considers the bill.

“We want this to start as soon as possible,” she said.

“We heard loud and clear that people’s experiences at our airports and on our airlines were not what they should be or what they paid for.”

She said the interim ombudsman would immediately begin drawing up a “charter of customer rights” for passengers and the “program will be operational next year.”

Under this rule, airlines would also be required to report the reasons for delays to the government, thereby increasing transparency and public accountability.

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission reported in its latest quarterly domestic air travel monitoring report that cancellation rates had fallen below the long-term average for the first time since October 2020.

More to follow