Qantas fined $200k for selling contraband toys on flights

QANTAS has been slapped down after it was caught selling banned toys to passengers on long-haul flights.

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QANTAS has been fined $200,000 after selling contraband toys to passengers.

The airline, this week named the world’s safest, sold hundreds of potentially lethal toy magnets on long-haul flights.

The Nano Magnetics Nanodots have been banned for sale in Australia since 2012.

Experts warn they can choke or suffocate children or lead to serious medical issues if accidentally swallowed.

The airline was caught selling the toys by industry veteran Ian Anderson on a Hong Kong-bound flight.

He was told his feedback would be passed onto catering business Alpha Flight Services, who manage Qantas’s duty free program.

But weeks later Mr Anderson was shocked to see the $55 toys still being sold on flights.

He complained again and the products were removed and the 223 sold were recalled.

Consumer Affairs began Federal Court action against Qantas and Alpha Flight Services in June last year.

During a Federal Court hearing the airline was slammed for “washing its hands” of its responsibilities of its duty-free program.

In his judgment published this week Federal Court Judge Tony Pagone criticised the airline’s delay in dealing with its non compliance.

“It may be that Alpha sourced the product and put it on the carts, but Wantas had its own obligations,” he said.

“It was Qantas staff who sold all of the Nanodots on Qantas flights.

“Qantas crew were responsible for selling the products listed in the in-flight catalogue and were paid commissions by Qantas for sales.”

Judge Pagone said the airline had shown it had inadequate systems for dealing with complaints and for ensuring its duty-free program complied with the law. It has subsequently implemented a duty-free product safety compliance program.

Fining Alpha $50,000 Judge Pagone said the way the company had handled the situation stood in stark contrast with Qantas.

Both companies must also publish public notices on their websites and in newspapers.

They will now also have to foot the bill for the destruction of hundreds of the unsafe toys seized by Consumer Affairs Victoria.

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Originally published as Qantas fined $200k for selling contraband toys on flights