Wednesday 3 August 2022 05:36 AM Qantas blasted for cancelling flight that ruined the reunion of refugees ... trends now
Qantas has been labelled a 'national disgrace' after cancelling a flight that ruined the reunion of two refugees who were separated nine years ago.
Betelhem and Ismail were fleeing war-torn Ethiopia and Somalia when they met and became friends on a boat bound for Australia in 2013.
Once their boat reached Australia, the pair were separated at the country's two offshore immigration detention centres - Betelhem was sent to Nauru while Ismail was detained on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.
Betelhem (left) and Ismail's (right) emotional reunion was ruined when Qantas cancelled their flight. The pair first met on a boat in 2013 but were sent to separate offshore detention centres
On Tuesday, Betelhem and Ismail were scheduled to meet on a flight from Melbourne to Canberra but their emotional reunion was ruined after Qantas cancelled and put them on separate flights to the nation's capital.
The pair were part of Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's (ASRC) lobbyist group meeting in Canberra to discuss legislation which was introduced in parliament to end offshore detention centres.
ASRC founder and CEO Kon Karapanagiotidis told Daily Mail Australia the cancelled flight was 'absolutely devastating' as it meant Betelhem and Ismail missed important talks with key MPs and senators.
'Betelhem and Ismail bravely came to Canberra on behalf of asylum seekers and refugees,' Mr Karapanagiotidis said.
'They have been waiting nine years for this day - to see each other again and to talk to parliament and be heard.
'It was absolutely devastating because it was such an important day for them. It was their first chance to speak to the government and now they feel like they've let us down and have let down the refugees still in detention.'
Betelhem was sent to Nauru while Ismail was sent to Manus Island (pictured). The pair travelled to Canberra as part of a group campaigning for the end of detention centres
Mr Karapanagiotidis said the independent not-for-profit organisation paid 'top-dollar' for 'bottom-of-the-line service' and blamed Qanats for not fulfilling its role as the nation's largest airline.
'The rest of us are used to Qantas letting us down,' Mr Karapanagiotidis said.
'Qantas needs to understand that there is a human cost and consequence when it does not fulfill its social contract with the Australian public.
'It's an airline about bringing people together so how has our national carrier become our national disgrace?'
It comes after a Qantas computer glitch on Sunday caused hours of delays on a dozen domestic flights and disrupted the travel plans of thousands of passengers.
On Monday as the airline cancelled 15 domestic flights - eight out of Sydney and seven out of Melbourne - due to operational reasons, including resourcing challenges and engineering requirements.
Qantas said Betelhem and Ismail's flight from Melbourne to Canberra was cancelled due to 'crew sickness'
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) founder Kon Karapanagiotidis said Qantas was a 'national disgrace' and had destroyed a very important day for Betelhem and Ismail (pictured, Mr Karapanagiotidis (R) and ASRC Director of Advocacy and Campaigns Jana Favero (L) on the way to parliament)
Qantas told Daily Mail Australia that Betelhem and Ismail's 7:05am flight from Melbourne to Canberra was cancelled due to 'crew sickness'.
'Due to crew
