Australian Women Allowed to Pursue Lawsuit Against Qatar Airways for Claimed Intrusive Physical Exams | Legal Matters (Australia)

The federal court in Australia has ruled that five women, who claim to have been forcibly removed from a Qatar Airways flight and subjected to invasive examinations at Doha Airport, can proceed with a lawsuit against the airline. This ruling overturns an earlier decision that the airline could not face trial for these allegations. The women were among more than a dozen passengers who were taken off a Sydney-bound flight for examinations without consent as part of a search for the mother of an abandoned newborn found in the airport. The incident, which occurred in October 2020, has sparked international outrage. The court found that the initial dismissal was incorrect, as the issue could only be decided at trial, indicating that the examinations might have occurred during the process of boarding or disembarking. Additionally, the court ruled against the appeal against the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, stating that its management activities were in pursuit of public functions of the State of Qatar. The airline and the airport operator, Matar, have been ordered to pay the costs of the appeal.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/jul/24/court-grants-leave-for-australian-women-to-sue-qatar-airways-over-alleged-invasive-physical-examinations-ntwnfb