Five Australian women who were forcibly removed from a Qatar Airways flight and subjected to invasive strip searches at Doha’s Hamad International Airport have won the right to sue the state-owned airline, following a successful appeal in Australia’s Federal Court.
The incident, which sparked global outrage, occurred in 2020 after an abandoned newborn was found in an airport bathroom. In response, Qatari authorities ordered several women—without consent or explanation—to undergo intimate examinations in ambulances parked on the airport tarmac.
The five women, who initiated legal proceedings in 2021, are seeking compensation for alleged unlawful physical contact and false imprisonment. They claim the traumatic experience left lasting psychological impacts, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. While women from other countries were also affected, only the five Australians are part of this lawsuit.
An earlier ruling by Justice John Halley had dismissed the claims against Qatar Airways, arguing that under the Montreal Convention—which governs airline liability—the airline could not be held responsible for the actions of Qatari police or medical staff. He described the idea that airline staff could have influenced those actions as “implausible” and “tenuous.”
However, the Federal Court’s full bench—Justices Angus Stewart, Debra Mortimer, and James Stellios—overturned that decision in part, ruling that Halley had prematurely dismissed the case and that key questions should be determined at trial. While the court upheld the dismissal of claims against Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, it reinstated the case against Qatar Airways and the airport operator, Matar.
The women’s lawyer, Damian Sturzaker, welcomed the decision, stating: “Our clients endured a traumatic experience that night in Doha and deserve their day in court and proper compensation for their suffering.”
In previous interviews, the women recounted the distressing ordeal. One said she feared she was being kidnapped; another described the experience as comparable to sexual assault. None were informed of what was happening or given a choice to opt out.
Although Qatar launched a criminal investigation that resulted in a suspended sentence for an airport official, Sturzaker said the ongoing legal action is partly due to the lack of an official apology, meaningful institutional reforms, or clear accountability.
The case will now proceed to trial in the Federal Court of Australia.
