Doctor asked to leave Virgin Australia business lounge while pumping breast milk; airline apologises
Elise Turner, a Gold Coast GP and mother of seven‑month‑old twins, said she was told to 'go and sit in a bathroom'; Virgin Australia said the incident fell short of its standards
A doctor says she was asked to leave a Virgin Australia business lounge at Melbourne Airport while using a breast pump, prompting an apology from the airline.
Elise Turner, a general practitioner who specialises in women's health and the mother of seven‑month‑old twins, said she was sitting in the Virgin lounge on Tuesday when a service manager told her she could not express breast milk there and must leave because she was "making people uncomfortable." She said she had been pumping under her shirt while waiting for a flight as a paying business‑class customer.
In an Instagram video posted after the incident, Dr Turner described confronting the staff member and saying that breastfeeding and expressing milk are protected under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. She said the manager told her she was not permitted to pump in the lounge and directed her to a public toilet. Dr Turner said the manager then put a hand on her arm and reiterated the request that she leave the lounge.
"This is pretty unbelievable and I'm beyond f***ing furious right now," Dr Turner said in the video. She told reporters she had asked whether the staff member prepared food in a bathroom and that the manager had no answer.
A Virgin Australia spokeswoman said the airline had apologised to Dr Turner and had reached out to her directly. "We are sorry for the way this situation was handled," the spokeswoman said. "It fell short of the high standards of care and customer service our team strives to deliver." The airline said it had followed up the matter with the staff member involved.
Melbourne Airport said it does not have any restrictions on women breastfeeding or expressing milk within the terminals. The airport has several parenting rooms equipped with seating and facilities for parents who need to feed or change children.
Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, Australian law protects people from discrimination on the basis of sex, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Legal experts have previously said the act covers treatment of women who are breastfeeding or expressing milk in public places.
The incident adds to ongoing public debate in Australia over the treatment of parents and breastfeeding in public and in commercial spaces. Public and private venues have adopted varying approaches to accommodating nursing parents, and several airlines and airports maintain dedicated facilities for feeding and caring for infants.
Virgin Australia's apology and its statement that it has addressed the staff member conclude the airline's initial response. Dr Turner has published her account on social media and in media interviews, and local advocates for parents' rights said they were monitoring the matter.
No regulatory action or formal complaint has been reported publicly by regulatory authorities as of Wednesday morning. Melbourne Airport's passenger services list parenting rooms and changing facilities among its terminal amenities for travellers with infants and young children.