Latest news with #MATAR
Zawya
30-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
GWC, Qatar Airways renew logistics agreement
GWC, a provider of logistics and supply chain solutions in Qatar, and Qatar Airways have signed a five-year service agreement, renewing their partnership. GWC has been the logistics service provider for Qatar Airways and its affiliates, including MATAR and Qatar Duty Free. The agreement will continue to provide integrated logistics services, including import/export handling, customs clearance, warehousing and distribution, inventory management, and document storage. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Fahad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, GWC Group Managing Director, said: 'This renewed agreement with Qatar Airways reflects the strength of Qatar national institutions working together to achieve excellence on a global stage. At GWC, we are proud to support the operations of the World's Best Airline with world-class logistics solutions rooted in innovation, efficiency, and reliability. Our long-standing partnership with Qatar Airways is a testament to our shared values and our unwavering commitment to Qatar's continued progress and global connectivity.' Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, said: 'We are pleased to renew our long-standing partnership with GWC. This agreement strengthens our operational capabilities and supports our continued global growth. By working together, we remain committed to delivering world-class services across a broad range of functions, guided by our shared pursuit of excellence.' Syed Maaz, GWC Chief Commercial Officer, said: 'This partnership reflects the very best of Qatari ambition and capability. To serve a world-renowned airline like Qatar Airways is a responsibility we take immense pride in. This renewed agreement is not only an extension of services – it's a renewed promise to uphold the gold standard of logistics that supports a globally admired aviation brand, every day.' Copyright 2025 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Canada News.Net
27-07-2025
- Canada News.Net
Australian court backs women's case in Qatar strip-search scandal
SYDNEY, Australia: Five Australian women who say they were forcibly removed from a Qatar Airways flight and strip-searched by armed guards at Doha's Hamad Airport have won the right to sue the airline, after Australia's Federal Court overturned an earlier ruling on July 24. The women were among 13 Australians subjected to invasive gynecological examinations in October 2020 after a newborn baby was found abandoned in an airport bathroom. The incident occurred across 10 Qatar Airways flights and sparked international outrage, damaging diplomatic ties between Australia and Qatar. In 2022, five of the affected women launched legal action in Australia against Qatar Airways, MATAR (which operates Doha airport), and Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority. They alleged violations under the Montreal Convention, which governs airline liability, along with claims of negligence, assault, and false imprisonment. The women say they were taken off their Sydney-bound flight at gunpoint, ordered to remove their underwear, and subjected to non-consensual physical examinations by a nurse inside ambulances on the tarmac. They are seeking damages for severe psychological harm, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2023, Justice John Halley of the Federal Court dismissed the case against Qatar Airways, arguing it had no reasonable chance of success. He also ruled that Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority was immune from prosecution under foreign state protections. However, the Full Federal Court has now ruled that the case against Qatar Airways should proceed. The judges said the matter raised complex legal issues that couldn't be decided at the early dismissal stage. "Whether or not the claims fall within the scope of the Montreal Convention is a complex issue," the court stated. "It is not suitable for summary dismissal." As a result, the lawsuit against Qatar Airways and MATAR will move forward, and both companies have been ordered to pay the women's appeal costs. Lawyer Damian Sturzaker of Marque Lawyers, who represents the women, welcomed the decision. "Our clients endured a traumatic experience that night in Doha. They deserve their day in court and compensation for their suffering," he said. The court ruling marks a significant step in the women's long fight for accountability, nearly four years after the controversial incident that drew worldwide condemnation.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Court allows Australian women to sue Qatar Airways over invasive strip searches
Five Australian women who say they were pulled from a Qatar Airways flight by armed guards and strip-searched have won the right to sue the airline, after a court on Thursday overturned an earlier decision to throw out the case. The women sought damages for the impact on their mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from the "unlawful physical contact".(AP File) Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights, including 13 Australians, were subjected to invasive examinations to see if they had recently given birth after a newborn baby was found abandoned at Doha's Hamad Airport in October 2020. The incident made headlines around the world, sparked outrage in Australia and strained diplomatic ties with Qatar. A group of five women on a Sydney-bound flight launched legal proceedings in 2022 against Qatar Airways, the operator of Doha Airport MATAR, and Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority. They brought claims under the Montreal Convention, which covers airline liability, as well as negligence, assault and false imprisonment. The women sought damages for the impact on their mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from the "unlawful physical contact". After being escorted off their flight by armed Qatari authorities, some women claimed they were made to take off their underwear and subjected to non-consensual gynaecological inspections by a nurse in ambulances on the tarmac. Federal Court Justice John Halley dismissed the claims against Qatar Airways last year, finding they had no reasonable prospect of success, and that Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority amounted to a foreign state immune from Australian law. On Thursday, the full Federal Court overturned the ruling on Qatar Airways saying the issue was too complex to be dismissed summarily. 'Whether or not the claims come within the scope of (the Montreal Convention) is a matter of some complexity,' the summary judgment said. 'It is therefore not an issue apt to be decided at the stage of summary dismissal.' The judgement allows the women to continue their lawsuit against Qatar Airways and MATAR. Both companies were ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. 'Our clients endured a traumatic experience on that night in Doha, and they deserve to have their day in court and compensation for their suffering,' said Damian Sturzaker, the lawyer from Marque Lawyers representing the women. 'We will continue to support them as the case continues in the Federal Court.'
RNZ News
24-07-2025
- RNZ News
Women win right to sue Qatar Airways over strip searches before Sydney-bound flight
By Victoria Pengilley The women were hauled off a Qatar Airways flight bound for Sydney. Photo: Hemis via AFP Five women who were subjected to invasive strip searches at Doha airport have won the right to pursue legal action against Qatar Airways and the airport operator. In October 2020, more than a dozen women were hauled off a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney and forced to undergo physical examinations in an ambulance on the tarmac without consent, following the discovery of a newborn baby in a toilet cubicle at Hamad International Airport. The women said they were ordered off the plane into an ambulance with a nurse. "She told me to pull my pants down and that I needed to examine my vagina," one woman said at the time. "I said, 'I'm not doing that' and she did not explain anything to me. She just kept saying, 'We need to see it, we need to see it'." The women had hoped to sue Qatar Airways for damages over "unlawful physical contact", and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) and airport operations company MATAR for assault and false imprisonment. In February, Federal Court Justice John Halley dismissed the case against the airline and QCAA, finding the alleged assaults did not happen on board the Qatar Airways plane and were not conducted by any employee of the airline. The women appealed to the Full Federal Court, arguing the searches took place in the process of disembarking the aircraft and that the airline should be held liable. On Thursday, the Full Federal Court ruled Justice Halley was wrong when he dismissed the women's claims. "There is no sufficiently high degree of certainty that what happened to the appellants in the ambulance could not ultimately be found to have been in 'the course of any of the operations of embarking or disembarking'," Justice Angus Stewart said. "It is therefore not an issue apt to be decided at the stage of summary dismissal." The court also found MATAR's application for the case against it to be set aside should have been dismissed. "It is also an error to conclude at this stage of the proceeding that MATAR's duty of care cannot possibly extend to the circumstances in and around the ambulance," Justice Stewart told the court. Qatar Airways and MATAR have been ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. The Full Federal Court dismissed the women's appeal against the QCAA on the basis that the proceeding did not concern activities in managing a commercial airport. Damian Sturzaker from Marque Lawyers, who is representing the women, said they were pleased with the decision. "This has always been an issue about the airline," he said outside court. "The women have always tried to resolve this matter with Qatar Airways … they would have always liked to see a resolution to the matter. "You imagine a group of five women bringing a case against a state entity that has defended this matter very staunchly from the beginning, it's been an enormous exercise." Wolfgang Babeck, a lawyer on the same flight as the women and who initially represented them, said the experience had been distressing for them. "The attitude that has been displayed by the country of Qatar is not proper for a country that wants to be recognised for world standards," Dr Babeck said. "It is appalling the women had to go through this stress to be heard." - ABC
ABC News
24-07-2025
- ABC News
Women win right to sue Qatar Airways over strip searches before Sydney-bound flight
Five women who were subjected to invasive strip searches at Doha airport have won the right to pursue legal action against Qatar Airways and the airport operator. In October 2020, more than a dozen women were hauled off a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney and forced to undergo physical examinations in an ambulance on the tarmac without consent, following the discovery of a newborn baby in a toilet cubicle at Hamad International Airport. The women said they were ordered off the plane into an ambulance with a nurse. "She told me to pull my pants down and that I needed to examine my vagina," one woman said at the time. "I said, 'I'm not doing that' and she did not explain anything to me. She just kept saying, 'We need to see it, we need to see it'." The women had hoped to sue Qatar Airways for damages over "unlawful physical contact", and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) and airport operations company MATAR for assault and false imprisonment. In February, Federal Court Justice John Halley dismissed the case against the airline and QCAA, finding the alleged assaults did not happen on board the Qatar Airways plane and were not conducted by any employee of the airline. The women appealed to the Full Federal Court, arguing the searches took place in the process of disembarking the aircraft and that the airline should be held liable. On Thursday, the Full Federal Court ruled Justice Halley was wrong when he dismissed the women's claims. "There is no sufficiently high degree of certainty that what happened to the appellants in the ambulance could not ultimately be found to have been in 'the course of any of the operations of embarking or disembarking'," Justice Angus Stewart said. "It is therefore not an issue apt to be decided at the stage of summary dismissal." The court also found MATAR's application for the case against it to be set aside should have been dismissed. "It is also an error to conclude at this stage of the proceeding that MATAR's duty of care cannot possibly extend to the circumstances in and around the ambulance," Justice Stewart told the court. Qatar Airways and MATAR have been ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. The Full Federal Court dismissed the women's appeal against the QCAA on the basis that the proceeding did not concern activities in managing a commercial airport. Damian Sturzaker from Marque Lawyers, who is representing the women, said they were pleased with the decision. "This has always been an issue about the airline," he said outside court. "The women have always tried to resolve this matter with Qatar Airways … they would have always liked to see a resolution to the matter. "You imagine a group of five women bringing a case against a state entity that has defended this matter very staunchly from the beginning, it's been an enormous exercise." Wolfgang Babeck, a lawyer on the same flight as the women and who initially represented them, said the experience had been distressing for them. "The attitude that has been displayed by the country of Qatar is not proper for a country that wants to be recognised for world standards," Dr Babeck said. "It is appalling the women had to go through this stress to be heard."
