How many members of the ASA executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
OFFICIAL
Hi Andrew
We acknowledge receipt of your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) on 5 November 2024 and note that your request has been given the internal file reference FOI 24-78.
You have requested the following:
- What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
- How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Unless you advise otherwise, drafts, duplicate documents and the personal information of Airservices+IBk- staff (e.g. names, contact details, position titles, signatures) will be excluded from the scope of your request under section 22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act.
The statutory period for processing your request is 30 calendar days commencing from the day after the request was received, in this case the due date for our decision is: Thursday 5 November 2024.
However, if your request captures documents that contains information concerning the business, commercial or financial affairs of another organisation or individual (third party), Airservices is required to consult with these third parties concerned before deciding on the release of those documents (see section 27 of the FOI Act).
If consultation is undertaken with any third party, the initial 30-day period for processing your request will be extended by a further 30 calendar days (see section 15(6) of the FOI Act). We will provide further notification in writing if it is determined that consultation is required.
Kind regards
Saira.
Freedom of Information
foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and inform the sender.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4-
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2024 1:48 PM
To: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: Freedom of Information request - How many members of the ASA executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
+AFs-You don't often get email from foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... +AF0-
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Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au
Is foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Airservices Australia? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change+AF...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: This email and any attachments, may contain information that is confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this email in error, please let Airservices Australia know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of this email and any attachments.
OFFICIAL
My apologies, Andrew - confirming the due date for our decision is Thursday 5 December 2024.
Thanks
Saira.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Sent: Thursday, 21 November 2024 10:12 AM
To: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4AOw- MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: FOI 24-78 (Terhorst) - Acknowledgement of FOI request
OFFICIAL
Hi Andrew
We acknowledge receipt of your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) on 5 November 2024 and note that your request has been given the internal file reference FOI 24-78.
You have requested the following:
- What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
- How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Unless you advise otherwise, drafts, duplicate documents and the personal information of Airservices+IBk- staff (e.g. names, contact details, position titles, signatures) will be excluded from the scope of your request under section 22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act.
The statutory period for processing your request is 30 calendar days commencing from the day after the request was received, in this case the due date for our decision is: Thursday 5 November 2024.
However, if your request captures documents that contains information concerning the business, commercial or financial affairs of another organisation or individual (third party), Airservices is required to consult with these third parties concerned before deciding on the release of those documents (see section 27 of the FOI Act).
If consultation is undertaken with any third party, the initial 30-day period for processing your request will be extended by a further 30 calendar days (see section 15(6) of the FOI Act). We will provide further notification in writing if it is determined that consultation is required.
Kind regards
Saira.
Freedom of Information
foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and inform the sender.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4-
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2024 1:48 PM
To: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: Freedom of Information request - How many members of the ASA executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
+AFs-You don't often get email from foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... +AF0-
CAUTION: This email was sent from an external email address. Do not click any links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au
Is foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Airservices Australia? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change+AF...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: This email and any attachments, may contain information that is confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this email in error, please let Airservices Australia know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of this email and any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Terhorst
Airservices is processing your FOI request (F24-78) that is currently due
5 December 2024. Please see the following update and a request for an
extension.
***
Airservices currently has several open Questions on Notice (QoN) that
include questions that are also covered by the scope of your FOI request
e.g. airline lounge memberships and flight upgrades.
Airservices is still collating its responses to these QoNs, after which
they will be progressed through Airservices’ Minister to the relevant
Senator.
The Senate Practice and Procedure accessible via
[1]https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/...
provides further information on the QoN process and includes:
* the text of each QoN will be published in the next issue of the Notice
Paper; and
* Questions on notice and responses from ministers can be searched in
the Questions on notice [2]database.
As you may appreciate, processing an FOI request in parallel to responding
to open QoNs on the same subject matter presents a degree of complexity.
As such, FOI is hoping to defer your decision until Airservices’ QoN
responses have been finalised and submitted to the relevant Senators if
possible. Our request to defer your decision is in effect a request for an
extension under s15AA of the FOI Act and we are seeking an extension of 30
days with a new decision date of 4 January 2024.
As this date falls on a Saturday, Airservices will provide you with the
decision by COB Monday 6 January 2024.
Please reply to this email to confirm whether you agree to this extension.
Kind regards
Kathryn
***
In the meantime, you may wish to refer to the following publicly available
documents that they may be of interest as they relate to the scope of your
request:
1. Airservices Interim CEO, Mr Rob Sharp, stated on public record at the
last Senate Estimates that no Airservices executive have Qantas
Chairman's Lounge memberships (refer to page 116 of the publicly
available transcript at [3]Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
Legislation Committee_2024_11_04.pdf;fileType=application/pdf).
2. Airservices publishes a register of received gifts and benefits for
the CEO and Executive on its website at:
[4]https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/cor... . The
register includes all executive flight upgrades (personal and
business) and was last updated for the period 1 Jul to 30 Sep 2024.
The next update to the register covering 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2024 will
likely be published on the website in February or March 2025.
Freedom of Information
Email [5][Airservices request email]
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged
information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all
copies and inform the sender.
-----Original Message-----
From: MBX FOI <[6][Airservices request email]>
Sent: Thursday, 21 November 2024 3:46 PM
To: MBX FOI <[7][Airservices request email]>; Andrew Terhorst
<[8][FOI #12297 email]>
Subject: RE: FOI 24-78 (Terhorst) - Confirmation of due date
OFFICIAL
My apologies, Andrew - confirming the due date for our decision is
Thursday 5 December 2024.
Thanks
Saira.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: MBX FOI <[9][Airservices request email]>
Sent: Thursday, 21 November 2024 10:12 AM
To: Andrew Terhorst <[10][FOI #12297 email]>;
MBX FOI <[11][Airservices request email]>
Subject: FOI 24-78 (Terhorst) - Acknowledgement of FOI request
OFFICIAL
Hi Andrew
We acknowledge receipt of your request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (FOI Act) on 5 November 2024 and note that your request has been
given the internal file reference FOI 24-78.
You have requested the following:
- What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted
exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge
(Virgin Australia)?
- How often have your executives and board members been given free flights
or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Unless you advise otherwise, drafts, duplicate documents and the personal
information of Airservices’ staff (e.g. names, contact details, position
titles, signatures) will be excluded from the scope of your request under
section 22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act.
The statutory period for processing your request is 30 calendar days
commencing from the day after the request was received, in this case the
due date for our decision is: Thursday 5 November 2024.
However, if your request captures documents that contains information
concerning the business, commercial or financial affairs of another
organisation or individual (third party), Airservices is required to
consult with these third parties concerned before deciding on the release
of those documents (see section 27 of the FOI Act).
If consultation is undertaken with any third party, the initial 30-day
period for processing your request will be extended by a further 30
calendar days (see section 15(6) of the FOI Act). We will provide further
notification in writing if it is determined that consultation is required.
Kind regards
Saira.
Freedom of Information
[12][Airservices request email]
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged
information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all
copies and inform the sender.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Terhorst <[13][FOI #12297 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2024 1:48 PM
To: MBX FOI <[14][Airservices request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - How many members of the ASA
executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
[You don't often get email from
[15][FOI #12297 email]. Learn why this is
important at [16]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]
CAUTION: This email was sent from an external email address. Do not click
any links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the
content is safe.
Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over
community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline
industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or
flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted
exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge
(Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights
or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[17][FOI #12297 email]
Is [18][Airservices request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Airservices Australia? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[19]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[20]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: This email and any attachments, may contain information that is
confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or
take action in reliance on, any material contained within this email. If
you have received this email in error, please let Airservices Australia
know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete
all copies of this email and any attachments.
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/...
2. https://www.aph.gov.au/SenateQON
3. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow...
4. https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/cor...
5. mailto:[Airservices request email]
6. mailto:[Airservices request email]
7. mailto:[Airservices request email]
8. mailto:[FOI #12297 email]
9. mailto:[Airservices request email]
10. mailto:[FOI #12297 email]
11. mailto:[Airservices request email]
12. mailto:[Airservices request email]
13. mailto:[FOI #12297 email]
14. mailto:[Airservices request email]
15. mailto:[FOI #12297 email]
16. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
17. mailto:[FOI #12297 email]
18. mailto:[Airservices request email]
19. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
20. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Dear MBX FOI,
I read through the transcript you provided. It seems that not just politicians are riding the gravy train for all its worth. Senior public servants and their families get free Chairman's lounge access. It is an absolute disgrace.
I am happy to wait till the new year.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Terhorst
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Terhorst
Please find the decision in relation to request F24-78 attached.
Kind regards
Kathryn
Freedom of Information
Email foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and inform the sender.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4-
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2024 2:48 PM
To: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: Freedom of Information request - How many members of the ASA executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
+AFs-You don't often get email from foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... +AF0-
CAUTION: This email was sent from an external email address. Do not click any links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au
Is foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Airservices Australia? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change+AF...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: This email and any attachments, may contain information that is confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this email in error, please let Airservices Australia know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of this email and any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Terhorst
Please find Document 1 attached which was originally deferred under the decision for request F24-78.
Document 1 is also publicly accessible at:
https://www.aph.gov.au/api/qon/downloade...
Kind regards
Kathryn
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Sent: Monday, 6 January 2025 5:22 PM
To: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4-
Cc: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: Decision- FOI request F24-78 (Terhorst)
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Terhorst
Please find the decision in relation to request F24-78 attached.
Kind regards
Kathryn
Freedom of Information
Email foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com
GPO Box 367, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Important: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and inform the sender.
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Terhorst +ADw-foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au+AD4-
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2024 2:48 PM
To: MBX FOI +ADw-foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com+AD4-
Subject: Freedom of Information request - How many members of the ASA executive team have Chairman's or Beyond Lounge memership?
+AFs-You don't often get email from foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... +AF0-
CAUTION: This email was sent from an external email address. Do not click any links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Airservices Australia,
I am concerned your executive prioritises the airline industry over community interests. I am trying to gauge to what extent the airline industry attempts to curry favour through lounge memberships and/or flight/flight upgrades.
What percentage of your executive team and board has been granted exclusive access to the Chairman's Lounge (Qantas) or the Beyond Lounge (Virgin Australia)?
How often have your executives and board members been given free flights or flight upgrades by the major airlines for personal travel?
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Terhorst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
foi+-request-12297-811f12f5+AEA-righttoknow.org.au
Is foi+AEA-airservicesaustralia.com the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Airservices Australia? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change+AF...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: This email and any attachments, may contain information that is confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this email in error, please let Airservices Australia know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of this email and any attachments.