Jetstar slammed for cancelling Hobart flights

A growing number of flight cancellations is leaving many Tasmanians hundreds of dollars out of pocket and throwing their travel plans and lives into chaos, two community leaders say.

A growing number of flight cancellations is leaving many Tasmanians hundreds of dollars out of pocket and throwing their travel plans and lives into chaos, two community leaders say.

Former member of the Legislative Council and prominent real estate agent Hank Petrusma and Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania president Scott Gadd say Tasmanians are being treated appallingly by Jetstar with the airline lacking empathy and understanding.

However, Tourism Industry Council chief Luke Martin says while the cancellations are “biting” Tasmanians he is hopeful the situation will improve in the coming weeks.

Mr Petrusma will write to Premier Jeremy Rockliff asking him to consider trying to get more competition for Hobart airline passengers.

His Jetstar flight from Hobart to Melbourne on Friday was cancelled with two hours’ notice and he missed the AFL final at the MCG that night.

Hank Petrusma. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Mr Petrusma booked his $140 flight four weeks ago and ended up paying $435 for a Virgin flight on Saturday so he could attend the Chargers basketball game in Melbourne.

“I’m not so worried for myself but for the many other Tasmanians who have urgent medical appointments and are told their flights have been cancelled,” he said.

“It is blatantly wrong.

“Families are having their holidays smashed and there is no goodwill being shown by the airline – their performance is disgraceful.

“The costs to re-book are outrageous and Tasmanians are being treated very badly.”

Mr Petrusma wants Mr Rockliff to ask regional based Rex Airlines to consider flying to Hobart.

“It is time the government talked to Rex because we need more competition, they fly to the North and North-West and people speak highly of their services,” he said.

Mr Petrusma also suggested that all airline bosses spend some time on the airport counters talking to customers.

“I’ve been a loyal Qantas customer for 50-odd years and to be told your flight has been cancelled two hours before it is due to leave and you can’t get a seat on a later flight is just not on,” he said.

Mr Gadd said Jetstar left his daughter Madison stranded in Melbourne with “no help” after she attended his father’s funeral in Hobart.

Scott Gadd. Pic: supplied.

“She was told she would not be able to get a flight to Darwin for seven days,” he said.

“Madi was a mess. She was left in Melbourne with no accommodation, no empathy and no care.

“She is a teacher on Groote Eylandt so she would lose work and her class of kids would be without a teacher for a week.”

Mr Gadd said he found his daughter accommodation with a relative in Melbourne and she had managed to get a Virgin flight on Sunday costing her $1200 plus accommodation for an overnight stay again in Darwin.

He said since he posted about her plight on social media he had “been bombarded” by messages from people with similar experiences.

“My son and I recently left Hobart at 6am, we waited at Melbourne Airport for eight hours before flying to Darwin via Brisbane arriving at midnight,” he said.

Mr Martin agreed many Tasmanians had their own airline anecdotes but said delays and cancellations were widespread across Australia.

“It’s not just one airline and has been going on for a couple of months,” he said.

“They are copping it left, right and centre and it needs to settle down and I’m told it will in a few weeks.

“We have benefited from the enormous capacity after Covid and they are struggling to sustain it.”

Jetstar was contacted for comment.