Qatar Airways鈥� proposal to expand flights in Australia has been rejected by the government, a move that former heads of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) claim was a 鈥渞eally bad decision鈥�.
In July 2023, the Australian government rejected Qatar Airways鈥� bid to add 21 extra weekly flights from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH)聽 to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE). This would be in addition to the 28 weekly flights it currently offers.
According to a report by , the government said that reducing airfares could threaten the 鈥渘ational interest鈥�, saying that national carrier Qantas should remain viable.聽
Former heads of the ACCC have since expressed their opinions on the government精东影业 decision.聽
Allan Fels, the inaugural chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), who held the position from the commission精东影业 inception in 1995 until June 2003, said in an interview with News Breakfast that it was a 鈥渞eally bad decision by any standards, particularly when the government is talking about doing a competition review鈥�.
Meanwhile Rod Simms, ACCC精东影业 chair from 2011-2022, has said that he thinks the decision will hurt competition.聽
鈥淲hat we see now, particularly in Australia, is very high airfares internationally and not enough capacity. If there was a time to allow new entrants in, this is it,鈥� Simms said in an interview with聽 ABC精东影业 RN Breakfast.
When asked if the Qatar Airways expansion would have lowered airfares, current head of ACCC Gina Cass-Gottlieb simply gave a curt one-word reply: 鈥測es鈥�.聽
Calls for the government to provide an explanation behind the decision are getting stronger, with Flight Centre Travel Group : 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 make sense for the Australian government to prevent Qatar Airways鈥� expansion.鈥�
In an interview with , Virgin Australia精东影业 CEO Jayne Hedlicka opined that the government should reconsider its decision to block Qatar, saying that more options and capacity would help reduce airfares.
